CJ's Seaweed Snack hits U.K. supermarkets

CJ CheilJedang's Seaweed Snack is now available in major UK supermarkets Asda and Ocado, offering flavors like sea salt and Korean barbecue. The move aims to target the global health snack market.

CJ CheilJedang's Seaweed Snack under the bibigo brand [CJ CHEILJEDANG]

CJ CheilJedang's Seaweed Snack under the bibigo brand has become available at Asda and Ocado, two major supermarket chains in the United Kingdom.

The snack was primarily sold at smaller Korean and Asian grocery stores in the U.K.

Launched in October 2022, the stick packs offer flavors such as sea salt, Korean barbecue, and hot chili, and uses eco-friendly paper trays in line with European consumer trends.

With the expansion into new retail channels, the product can now be purchased both online and in physical stores throughout the U.K.

Gim, the Korean word for seaweed, is one of CJ CheilJedang's strategic products for global expansion, a lineup that includes a diverse range of items such as mandu (dumplings), chicken, processed rice including instant rice, Korean sauces, kimchi and rolls. The Korean food conglomerate aims to target the global health snack market, leveraging gim that caters to the tastes of global consumers.

In recent years, gim has gained popularity, particularly among the younger demographic in European countries, thanks to the widespread popularity of Korean content, according to a report from the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (Kotra). Rather than being perceived solely as a side dish, it has become a favored snack to complement beverages like wine. Its natural, lightweight, and environmentally friendly attributes make it stand out when compared to other snacks like potato chips, Kotra added.

“We will keep introducing products that align with the unique food cultures and meet the consumer demands of various countries for gim, positioning it as a representative K-Food product in the global market,” CJ CheilJedang said.

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]