Chairman Lee Jay-hyun of CJ Group. (Photos: CJ Group)

CJ Cheiljedang is accelerating efforts to reinvent the home meal replacement (HMR) market with a focus on health-consciousness.

CJ Cheiljedang said on Nov. 12 the company launched the health-consciousness HMR brand “The Bibigo,” based on R&D competiveness and expertise the company has accumulated.

Among the newly released 12 HMR line-up versions are four kinds of soup meals, four kinds of topping sauces and four kinds of porridge.

(from left) Jeonbok (abalone) samgaetang (ginseng chicken) soup, “doganitang,” and “chadolwoweongdaenjangdeopbap sauce,” released by CJ Cheiljedang under the health-consciousness HMR brand “The Bibigo.”

Health-consciousness HMR refers to HMRs CJ Cheiljedang has newly defined to reflect consumers’ needs for health consciousness and Korean and foreign HMR trends.

As the brand “Bibigo” target delicious Korean foods, the new brand “The Bibigo” espouses “health-conscious” Korean foods. The move may be construed as the company’s bid to tap and lead the new market.

Among things with core R&D competitiveness, which makes the new brand a difference, are a technology of preserving god tastes based on low-natrium and a technology of optimizing processing of raw soup.

CJ Cheiljedang has made strenuous efforts to make intact intrinsic tastes, smells, types and textures of raw ingredients and reduce natrium content by more than 25 percent, compared to average foods.

Essential thins such as protein, an insufficient nutrient of the daily diet, and food fiber have been added while natirum and cholesterol with a tendency of intakes have been reduced.

Raw ingredients such as fresh ginseng and octopuses have been added to make HMR abundant and delicious.

“Doganitang,” an ox knee soup, a mainstay food item under the brand “The Bibigo,” has a plentiful of ox knee, full of collagen, and tendon, containing more protein and less natrium.

Susamgalbitang, a beef reef soup with fresh ginseng and other soup HMRs boast high protein and low natrium.

Topping source HMRs include “chadolwoweongdaenjangdeopbap source” and “woweongsogogideopbap source.” Woweongsogogideopbap source boasts more food fibers while other sauce HMRs are souped-up with protein.

Soup products, put on the market by the HMR brand “The Bibigo.”

Porridge HMRs, containing more protein and less natrium, include “jeonbok (abalone) samgaejook,’ “mooneomieokjook,” (octopus seaweed porridge), and “deulkaesogogijook” (perilla beef porridge), all porridge HMRs containing more protein and less natrium.

CJ Cheiljedang plans to continue to expand the product portfolio of the HMR brand “The Bibigo.” A CJ Cheiljedang official said “The Bibigo,” the company’s representative HMR brand catering to tastes, convenience and health-consciousness, will focus on expanding its brand image recognition.