JEOLLABUK-DO < invest Korea

According to Yonhap News,

(SEOUL=Yonhap News) Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said that it has attracted by last year 69 domestic and foreign food companies and 4 research institutes in the Korean National Food Cluster in Iksan, Jeonbuk-do.

The Korean National Food Cluster is the country's only specialized food industrial complex with food companies and research institutes.

It has R&D facilities including the Food Functional Evaluation Support Center, the Food Quality Safety Center, the Food Packaging Center, the Pilot Plant and the Food Venture Center.

The Ministry said, "As of this month, 27 companies have begun construction, and 20 of which have completed construction started production. Our goal this year is to attract 90 food companies."

In the first half of this year, Pulmuone will complete the construction of its plant and begin production. Harim and Mail Foods will also begin the plant construction this year.

Among the 69 companies residing in the Cluster, there are 17 health functional food companies, 14 meat processing companies, 9 fruit and vegetable processing companies, 6 beverage and grain processing companies, 4 companies each for fisheries and lunch meals processing companies, and 2 sauce companies.

The Korean National Food Cluster Support Center became a GMP certified organization, which means that the Center was recognized for its safety and excellency in the manufacture of health functional foods in 2017. Last year, the Center was certified by an internationally accredited testing organization.

Also in September last year, Fraunhofer IVV Institute in Germany opened a subsidiary institute in the Support Center that fosters international joint research in food packaging and processing.

Within this year, the Ministry will attract 90 food companies of HMR, elderly friendly foods, infant foods and health functional foods. It will also work in conjunction with institutions such as KOTRA, aT and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and hold a public investment seminar as well as promotion activities to attract foreign investment.

The Ministry said, "In order to bring up the Korean National Food Cluster as the Mecca of the high-tech food industry, we will expand the diverse and systematic support services to the tenant companies."

tsl@yna.co.kr

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Source Text

** This article was translated from Korean.

Source: Yonhap News (January 3, 2019)