IPET to Designate Six ‘Innovation Items’ Among Products Made with MAFRA’s R&D Projects

President Noh Soo-hyun of Korea Institute of Planning and Evaluation for Technology in Food, Agriculture and Forestry (IPET). (Photos: IPET)

Korea Institute of Planning and Evaluation for Technology in Food, Agriculture and Forestry (IPET) plans to designate six “innovation items” among products made with R&D projects implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) in the first half of this year. Applications were accepted between March 25 and March 31.

If innovation items have been designated, they will be entitled to be registered on the innovation site of the Public Procurement Service (PPS) and land orders from public entities and local governments.

Beneficiaries will be entitled to benefit from a pilot purchase program in which their products are purchased by the PPS and supplied to public entities.

They will also be entitled to an innovation purchase goal program in which each public entity is required to procure 1 percent of its purchase amounts with innovation items.

Would-be beneficiaries will be SMEs which have made products using the technologies developed by MAFRA’s R&D projects since Jan. 1, 2017.

Screenings will be made in a three-stage process: a presentation evaluation, a field evaluation, and a comprehensive evaluation. The PPS policy screening committee designates innovation items whose innovation and public interest have been recognized.

Kim Won-il, director-general of the Agriculture and Bio-industry Bureau with the MAFRA said, “A system of designating innovation items through excellent R&D will enable SMEs’ R&D outcomes to enter the market fast, contributing to promoting the private sector’s technology innovation.”

Images of “Again Youth Emptiness STEP1” and “Again Youth Addness STEP3” made with extracts of black soybeans “chalhukmi” and “seomoktae.”

Items Made with Black Soybean Extracts Obtain KS Product Certification for Senior-Friendly Foods

Korea Institute of Planning and Evaluation for Technology in Food, Agriculture and Forestry (IPET) said homegrown food products, made with extracts of black soybeans – “chalhukmi” and “seomoktae” - have obtained the KS product certification for senior-friendly foods.

The KS product certification for senior-friendly foods is divided into three stages according to food hardness, viscosity and nutrients: a first stage of consumption with teeth, a second stage of consumption with gums, and a third stage of consumption with tongue.

“Again Youth Emptiness STEP1” and “Again Youth Addness STEP3” have been developed with a joint research by IPET and Naturalway. The products belong to the first stage of consumption with teeth, of the KS product certification for senior-friendly foods.

The certified products can be consumed and carried with ease because they are made in a jelly and gel format and pouch packaging format.

IPET President Noh Soo-hyun said, “As aging rate and life expectation are on the rise, the size of the senior-friendly food industry is predicted to continue to grow.”

IPET will continue to expand support to R&D related to the senior-friendly industry to brace for the upcoming aging society, President Noh said.

Meanwhile, the nation is entering a super aging society fast. The demand for senior-friendly foods, designed to help the elderly people consume and digest foods, is on the rise.

The size of the senior-friendly food industry surged 9.3 trillion won in 2015 to 17.6 trillion won in 2020.