H-Story

Bereum CEO Han Kwon-il (left), US NURA President Lily Ruan (center), and Hyundai Corporation Director Park Chan-mo (right) in NURA’s head office in Irvine, California, after signing a deal to export postbiotics to the US.

The Hyundai Corporation Group (chairman: Chung Mong-hyuck) announced on March 19, that, together with Bereum, a Korean postbiotics producer, it has signed a contract with NURA, a US food ingredient distributor, to export postbiotics to the US. The three-year deal is valued at USD 10 million (KRW 13 billion) in terms of minimum order quantity (MOQ).

The HCG has continuously sought ways to make inroads into global markets since becoming a strategic investor in Bereum in 2022. The HCG enabled Bereum to conclude an agreement to supply postbiotics to Europe via its global networks in 2023. Also, it has worked hard to export postbiotics to Southeast Asia including Malaysia and Central and South America. This deal is considered to be the first step for Bereum’s technological prowess to be recognized in the US, one of the biggest markets for lactic ferments. Building on its technological superiority, the HCG plans to supply more postbiotics to global markets including Europe, Southeast Asia, and South America.

Postbiotics, also called next-generation lactic ferments, were created by overcoming the weaknesses of existing probiotics that are vulnerable to heat and therefore can scarcely be applied to various uses. The heat-killing technology enables postbiotics to be used for a myriad of sectors including F&B, cosmetics, and medicine. The efficacy of postbiotics in maintaining intestinal health and regulating immune systems has continuously been demonstrated, leading postbiotics to be globally recognized as a game changer in the lactic ferments market. According to 360iResearch, a global market research agency, the postbiotics market valued at KRW 2.6 trillion as of 2023 is expected to grow by an annual average of 7.21% to KRW 4.3 trillion in 2030.

Bereum has concentrated on postbiotics R&D over the past three decades, solidifying its position as a hidden champion in the market. Equipped with distinguished technological prowess and mass-production systems, it is the only Korean firm that has fiercely competed with Japanese companies in the global postbiotics market. The Ministry of Economy and Finance officially recognized it as the first and only hi-tech business in the Korean food industry. Against this backdrop, Allied Market Research, a global market research agency, chose Bereum as one of the key players in the global postbiotics market. Bereum has obtained the US GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) certifications, publishing more than 30 SCI-level papers and demonstrating its technological superiority.

An HCG official said, “Successfully making inroads into the North American market, the HCG will expand its global supply chain. Collaborating with Bereum, the leader in the postbiotics market, to make Korea’s technological prowess widely known throughout the world, the HCG will make more efforts to play a leading role in the global markets not only for postbiotics ingredients but also for food, cosmetics, and medicine.”

March 20, 2024
Munhwa Ilbo