Do not go gentle into that good night, old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light, though wise men at their end know dark is right, because their words had forked no lightning they, do not go gentle into that good night.
American appetite for plant-based protein boosts Pulmuone Foods USA sales
Pulmuone Foods USA's tofu lineup / Courtesy of Pulmuone
By Jhoo Dong-chan
Even as a sluggish retail environment weighs on American consumer spending, Pulmuone Foods USA, the domestic subsidiary of Korean food conglomerate Pulmuone, is finding a lucrative growth market in U.S. supermarkets.
The company said Thursday that its U.S. tofu revenues rose 16.8 percent year-on-year through May, reaching 107.8 billion won ($71.3 million). The surge reflects a broader shift in American eating habits, as grocery shoppers increasingly pivot toward healthier, plant-based proteins to reduce meat consumption.
The growth was led by Pulmuone’s Water Pack line — a firmer style of tofu packaged in water that accounts for roughly 70 percent of its total tofu revenues. Sales for the line jumped 24 percent to 79.9 billion won, a spike primarily driven by a major new retail account secured last fall. Meanwhile, high-protein varieties rose 13 percent, and processed, pre-seasoned options tailored to Western palates grew nine percent.
To keep pace with demand, Pulmuone has aggressively expanded its manufacturing footprint.
In March, the company completed a significant expansion of its facility in Ayer, Massachusetts, installing a high-speed production line that doubled the factory’s output capacity. A separate expansion for silken tofu production is underway at its Fullerton, California plant, aimed at supplying global restaurant chains and food service sectors when it opens later this year.
Pulmuone, which acquired the prominent Nasoya brand in 2016, sells its products across 15,000 retail locations in the U.S., including Walmart, Whole Foods and Target. The subsidiary, which has maintained the top spot in the U.S. tofu market for 11 consecutive years, notes that tofu now accounts for half of its total domestic revenues.
“Tofu is rapidly becoming an established part of American food culture,” Cho Kil-soo, the chief executive of Pulmuone Foods USA, said, noting that the company intends to solidify its market dominance through further channel diversification.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.