Lee Hyo-sik is Finance Desk editor at The Korea Times. He manages finance-related stories on macroeconomics, banks, stocks, bonds, crypto etc. He is passionate about covering what's happening in Korea's financial industry and explaining it to both Korean and non-Korean readers. You can reach him at leehs@koreatimes.co.kr. Your insights and feedbacks are always appreciated.
Foodpolis has bright future as R&D hub
An aerial view of Campden BRI in Gloucestershire, Britain
By Lee Hyo-sik
By Lee Hyo-sik
Today’s consumers are increasingly demanding with respect to food and drink products. As a basic requirement, consumers expect their food to be wholly safe and of the quality and nature intended.
However, these basic attributes are now not enough with additional demands being placed on the nutritional status of the food, its production using environmentally sustainable and ethical techniques, and in many cases, its availability throughout the year.
Adding to these, the quest for convenience and the provision of food at the lowest possible price, we can start to understand the challenges faced by an innovative and progressive food industry.
Essential to the success of the industry in satisfying the ever-more discerning consumers and in maintaining commercial sustainability is high quality science, based on cutting-edge research and development. This is at the heart of the Korea National Food Cluster, named Foodpolis, concept and follows a well tested model embraced by Campden BRI, a government-run institute that provides the practical scientific, technical and advisory services needed to ensure product safety and quality, process efficiency and product and process innovation.
Britain-based Campden BRI has over 2,000 member companies worldwide and aspires to be the partner of choice for the development and application of technical knowledge and commercially relevant solutions for the food and drink chain.
With this industrial partnership and support approach it has helped both small and multinational companies meet operational challenges, open up new markets and introduce improvements through process, product and packaging innovation.
The food chain is becoming increasingly complex and globalized. Finished food products, raw materials and ingredients are traded freely across national boundaries and this brings with it enormous opportunities but also very real dangers in relation to integrity, security of supply and consistency.
The ability to assure product safety and authenticity and to demonstrate sound principles of control and traceability are key challenges.
The implementation of systems compliant with best international practice, which can be accredited to recognized standards, is at the heart of successful cross-border trade.
An example of the application of R&D and technology transfer in the food industry is what is now well known as hazard analysis critical control points (HACCP). This concept originally arose out of a development for the space industry to minimize the chance of contamination and food-borne illness.
A bout of food poisoning in space with zero gravity is not an attractive prospect. The approach has been widely adopted by the food industry to minimize risks.
It is based on extensive research on how hazards can enter the food chain and more importantly how they can be eliminated or controlled. The latest development in this area is the concept of threat analysis critical control points (TACCP), which follows a similar logic but is designed to protect the supply chain from hazards introduced intentionally.
There have been many examples of product and process innovation over the years and these have all relied on high quality R&D, underpinned by scientifically robust evidence.
Before any new process can be adopted its mechanism must be understood and its efficacy validated.
This process validation involves a range of scientific disciplines such as microbiologists, chemists, biochemists, physicists, computer modellers, engineers and sensory/consumer scientists working together to demonstrate the process is suitable for the specific food types and that it meets the consumer’s needs.
Martin Hall, director of science at Campden BRI
Foodpolis as R&D hub
Foodpolis has been designed with R&D and evidence-based innovation as a central pillar of its strategic role in providing industrial support.
The establishment of three public funded research centers demonstrates the government’s progressive thinking and commitment to establishing a focal point for food industry development in Northeast Asia.
The three centers, each with its core focus, are complementary and will interact with associated pilot plant facilities available at Foodpolis.
The three focus areas are directly aligned with the key consumer drivers mentioned earlier.
Scientists at the three establishments will help to ensure that food from the region is safe and of high quality, that the consumers’ focus on diet and health is built into product development and that innovative packaging formats present the food in optimum condition and in a user friendly form for the consumer.
The purpose-designed research centers will undertake a program of cutting edge applied research and exploit the world class science capability within Korea.
They will be equipped with some of the most sophisticated instruments available making them ideally placed to advance the science that will enable food industry development in the region.
A defining feature of the food chain is the unbreakable link between the needs of the consumer being met by food manufacturers using raw materials originating from agricultural systems.
This continuum is often referred to as the farm to fork or integrated food chain.
It is a chain in which all parts interact; the way in which a raw material is produced will influence its properties and functionality, these will affect the way it can be processed which will in turn impact on the final product quality and how it can be packed and presented to the consumer.
Collaboration and networking between Foodpolis, its R&D centers and stakeholders, such as, the Rural Development Agency, Korea Food Research Institute, universities and independent research and technical service providers will deliver a formidable resource to optimize food chain integration in the region.
Future for Foodpolis
Foodpolis is a progressive and ambitious undertaking based on the model of industrial growth built on innovation supported by research and technical service provision.
The creation of this cluster demonstrates the commitment of the government to grow the food industry in the region and comes at a time when the scientific credibility and reputation of Korean food is gaining global recognition.
With the multiple free trade agreements that Korea has with other countries, its internationally aligned business practices and the package of attractive foreign investment incentives, I have no doubt that Foodpolis will succeed in becoming the focal point for food production and marketing in Northeast Asia.