Progress of Functional Food Market in Korea and Strategy of Korean Medicine

Article information

J Korean Med. 2014;35(1):68-74

Publication date (electronic) : 2014 March 30

doi : https://doi.org/10.13048/jkm.14007

Liver and Immunology Research Center of Daejeon University Oriental Hospital

Correspondence to: 손창규(Son Chang-Gue) 대전시 중구 대흥동 22-5번지 대전대학교 부속한방병원 간장면역학교실, Tel: +82-42-229-6807, Fax: +82-42-254-3403, E-mail: ckson@dju.ac.kr

Received 2014 February 05; Revised 2014 March 04; Accepted 2014 March 18.

Abstract

Objectives

To analyze the growth pattern of the functional food market in Korea, and thus produce essential information in mapping out a strategy for Korean medicine.

Methods:

A survey of literature or analysis reports about market changes related to functional foods in Korea was undertaken.

Results:

The Korean functional food market has been growing rapidly, to 1.4 trillion won in 2012 compared to 250 billion won in 2004, which is an annual growth rate of about 14%. In particular, individually-approved functional food is worthy of notice regarding its growth rate and functional position, which is similar to herbal drugs. The expanding growth of functional food affects negatively the decrease of herbal drug industry in Korea to date.

Conclusions:

To compete with functional foods, the Korean medicine community needs to develop patient-friendly and cost-effective herbal drugs, and strategies to adopt them as therapeutic modalities.

Keywords: Functional food; Korean medicine; herbal drug

Fig. 1

Annual production of functional foods in Korea. Total market size functional food production was shown from 2004 to 2012.

Fig. 2

Market share of functional foods in Korea. The market share of main functional food in 2012 was shown.

Fig. 3

Number of individually-approved functional food in Korea. The sum resource number of individually-approved functional food was shown by 2013.

Fig. 4

Market size of individually-approved functional food in Korea. Total market size individually-approved functional food production was shown from 2008 to 2012.

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