삼양사 Samyang Specialty

Samyang Corporation’s Head of Food R&D Delivers Keynote at the 9th International Rare Sugar Congress 2025

- Showcasing Korea’s Allulose Growth Story and Emphasizing Leadership in Next-Generation Sweetener Technologies

- Samyang Highlights Differentiated Solutions Driven by Innovation and Technical Expertise in the Global Sweetener Market

Jungsook Han, Head of Food R&D at Samyang Corporation, participated in the 9th Rare Sugar Congress 2025, held from November 17 to 19 at the Kagawa International Convention Hall in Japan. Han delivered a keynote presentation during the Special Keynote Session titled “Enabling the Growth of Rare Sugars: Korea’s Allulose Market Experience.”
The Rare Sugar Congress, organized every two to three years, is an international symposium that brings together the latest research and market insights on rare sugars from production technologies to industrial applications.

In her presentation, Han outlined how Korea’s allulose market achieved rapid growth through the combined impact of government-led sugar-reduction policies, close collaboration across industry stakeholders, and an expanding range of commercial product applications.
She also highlighted Samyang’s technological capabilities and product development expertise, emphasizing allulose’s strong potential to expand globally as a next-generation alternative sweetener.

With the implementation of Korea’s sugar-reduction policy in 2016 and the introduction of mandatory sugar labeling, consumer awareness of health and nutrition rose sharply. Although allulose was initially classified as a sugar in Korea, industry and academic stakeholders continuously submitted scientific evidence, global regulatory precedents, and recent research findings to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, urging a revision of the labeling standard. Their sustained efforts ultimately led to allulose being excluded from the sugar category—marking a pivotal turning point for the development of sugar-free and no-sugar-added products and the expansion of related food categories in the domestic market.

This transition was reinforced by the persistent engagement of industry stakeholders. Consumer-facing marketing initiatives were intensified to raise awareness of allulose, and Samyang contributed to enhancing consumer familiarity by launching allulose tabletop sweeteners. Korea’s zero-sugar trend, which first emerged in the carbonated beverage segment, further accelerated the adoption of allulose and has since spread to a wide range of categories, including dairy, ice cream, and sauces. As a result, continued growth of the zero-sugar market is anticipated.

Allulose, a naturally occurring rare sugar, delivers about 70% of the sweetness of sucrose with almost zero calories. Recognizing its potential early, Samyang developed liquid allulose using proprietary enzyme technology in 2016 and launched the Nexweet brand in 2021 for domestic and international markets. In 2024, the company completed a state-of-the-art specialty plant in Ulsan, establishing Korea’s largest production facility for allulose.

Meanwhile, Jihye Shin, Team Leader of Specialty Marketing Team at Samyang Corporation, joined a panel discussion on ““Consumer Attitudes and Preferences Toward Sugars and Sweeteners: What It Means for Food Industries,” offering the broad industry implications and emerging market opportunities.

Through its participation in the Rare Sugar Congress 2025, Samyang showcased Korea’s success story in the global sweetener market and reaffirmed its leadership in the development of innovative alternative sugars.

■Photo1: Jungsook Han, Head of Food R&D at Samyang Corporation, delivering a keynote presentation at the International Rare Sugar Congress.

■Photo2: Panel discussion at the International Rare Sugar Congress (Jihye Shin, Team Leader of Samyang Specialty Marketing Team: second from the left).