CJ CheilJedang, Korea’s leading food company, is exporting 12.6 tons (worth approximately $54,000) of Korean food products (K-Food) including instant rice, frozen dumplings, and seaweed rolls to Argentina. This export is a result of the ‘K-Food Exhibition’ held by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) last November, demonstrating the potential for expanding Korean food products in the Latin American market.
The MFDS, in cooperation with the Korea Food Safety Management Certification Institute (KFSMC), is implementing the ‘Latin America Import-Export Food Safety Management Capacity Building Project (ODA)’ to support domestic food companies that face difficulties in direct promotion in the Latin American market. At the K-Food exhibitions held in Argentina and Peru last November, local food distributors and Korean food companies participated extensively to discuss export opportunities. As a result, CJ CheilJedang secured an export contract with the Argentine market, while other companies such as Daesang (gochujang and seaweed) and Jinhan Food (samgyetang) are continuing additional negotiations.
Furthermore, the MFDS and KFSMC will distribute the ‘Latin American 8 Countries Import-Export Food Safety Management Compilation’ as a guideline for targeting the Latin American market starting February 13. This compilation includes food safety regulatory information for each country, import-export procedures for Argentina and Peru, inspection standards, and food industry status. In particular, it contains information directly provided by food regulatory officials from major Latin American countries, which is expected to help domestic food companies establish practical export strategies.
A CJ CheilJedang official stated, “Through the K-Food exhibition, we were able to promote the excellence of Korean food products and confirm their potential in the Latin American market,” adding that “continued support from government agencies like the MFDS is necessary.”
The MFDS plans to continue operating various export support programs to enhance food safety management capabilities in Latin America while strengthening regulatory diplomatic activities for the global expansion of K-Food. Through these efforts, they aim to improve the international market competitiveness of Korean food products and promote continuous export growth.