How is our beverage trend evolving in post-COVID-19?

In the post-COVID-19 world, our beverages are evolving in terms of consumer awareness toward vegan beverages and aseptic paper packaging technology.

Soy milk on rise

As awareness of environmental problems has increased due to the COVID-19 outbreak and unusually long rainy season in 2020, consumers are focusing not only on personal health, but also environmental sustainability. This is in line with “value for money consumption,” one of the consumption trends of the MZ generation, referring to people born between 1980 and the 2010s. This value for money consumption trend is emerging as a vegan craze across food and beverages, beauty and fashion.

Sahmyook Foods, one of Korea's leading soymilk companies, created a black food craze with Black Sesame Soymilk and Black Soybean Soymilk as well as Black Bean Calcium Soymilk about 20 years ago. It was loved by consumers of all ages. However, the fever did not stop at the domestic market, but also contributed to exports, achieving annual sales of $5 million in 2017 and $10 million in 2018. In addition, thanks to the vegan trend that continues, soit will continue to achieve sustainable growth this year along with advanced packaging technologies such as aseptic cartons.

Expanding the convenience food and snack market with stay-at-home trend

With more people staying at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the evolution of aseptic carton packages has contributed to market expansion such as into CMR ― convenience meal replacement ― and HMR ― home meal replacement ― and snacks for children. This is because the demand for food and beverages that can be easily stored at room temperature at a reasonable price for a long time has increased due to stay-at-home trend.

In particular, nutritional milk drinks for children and new types of soymilk products with chewy particulates, which are contained in aseptic cartons, are gaining popularity. Dr. Chung's Food's (DCF) Chewy Oat Soymilk and Apple Mango Soymilk are products that use SIG's Drinkplus technology, which makes it possible to fill beverages with small pieces on standard SIG filling machines for beverages.

As such, the development of packaging technology is being utilized in various ways in our daily lives, giving us benefits so that we can eat and drink more conveniently, hygienically and safely, even in the face of a pandemic crisis.

Hans Cho, country manager at SIG Combibloc Korea, a food and beverage package manufacturer said: "The development of the food and beverage market in line with the trend has led to the evolution of packaging technology. Packaging technology with sustainable and renewable elements plays an important role and aseptic cartons can be said to be a package that reflects the needs of these consumers. In addition, our Drinkplus technology and our Heat & Go packaging technology that can be heated in a microwave will deliver added value to both beverage manufacturers and consumers. We look forward to contributing to the growth of Korea's future food and beverage market through continuous innovative technology development.”

(Advertorial)