CJ Haechandle Gochujang acquires Europe's V-Label

CJ CheilJedang Corp.'s flagship fermented food brand Haechandle Gochujang (hot pepper paste) is set to expand into the global market, backed by its vegan certification.

South Korea's leading food company CJ CheilJedang announced on Friday that its Haechandle Gochujang has become the first Korean fermented food brand to secure the European "V-Label" vegan certification. The V-Label is a global vegan certification used in more than 30 countries.

A total of 18 products currently on sale domestically and internationally have received the certification, including "Haechandle 100% Korean Rice Taeyangcho Gochujang" and "Haechandle 100% Korean Gochujang." These products have passed strict review criteria, such as not using animal-derived ingredients, preventing cross-contamination with animal-derived ingredients during production, and not including genetically modified components.

CJ CheilJedang stated that it expects this certification will enable Gochujang, a representative K-sauce item, to absorb the steadily increasing demand for vegan food in the global market and expand sales.

As the emphasis on health and environmentally friendly consumption culture spreads, the domestic vegan population is estimated to have reached 2.5 million by 2021, according to the Korea Vegetarian & Vegan Union.

Moreover, according to the US-based market research firm EMR, the global vegan food market is expected to grow from $24.6 billion last year to $43.8 billion by 2028.

Write to Kyeong-je Han at hankyung@hankyung.com