SOUTH KOREA – Samyang Corporation, a leading manufacturer of food ingredients, has announced the completion of its KRW 140 billion (approximately US$105 million) Specialty Plant in Nam-gu, Ulsan, South Korea.
The new facility, which covers a floor area of 22,150 square meters, focuses on the production of allulose and prebiotics, positioning the company as a major player in the global functional food market.
The plant comprises two separate buildings dedicated to different product lines.
One building is for allulose production, while the other focuses on prebiotics such as resistant dextrin and fructo-oligosaccharide powder.
The allulose facility boasts an annual production capacity of 13,000 tons, marking a 400 percent increase over Samyang’s previous production levels and making it the largest allulose plant in South Korea.
According to the company, this facility is capable of producing both liquid and crystalline forms of allulose, enhancing its export potential.
Allulose is a low-calorie sweetener that offers about 70% of the sweetness of sugar but contains virtually no calories. Its unique properties, such as mimicking sugar’s caramelization when heated, make it an attractive alternative for various food applications.
In 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) excluded allulose from the total and added sugars counts on food labels, further boosting its appeal in the alternative sweetener market.
Samyang began mass-producing liquid allulose in 2020 using its proprietary enzyme technology, after receiving Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) certification from the FDA.
The prebiotics plant produces resistant dextrin, a soluble dietary fiber known for its benefits in regulating blood sugar and lipid levels, and fructo-oligosaccharide, which supports the growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria.
Samyang’s new plant is expected to offer innovative solutions by combining allulose and prebiotics, as the company aims to expand its market presence in North America, Japan, Southeast Asia, and beyond.
Choi Nag-hyun, CEO of Samyang Corporation, stated, “With the establishment of the largest allulose plant in Korea, we are committed to enhancing our competitiveness in the domestic and international alternative sugar markets.”
He also emphasized the plant’s role as a “core base for providing health and wellness value” to customers globally.
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