[Courtesy of Shinsegae Food]
SEOUL -- Shinsegae Food, a subsidiary of South Korean retail giant Shinsegae, will unveil halal certified instant noodles, or ramyeon in Korean, in Malaysia this month in a project aimed at increasing its brand recognition among Muslim customers.
Shinsegae Food said Monday that Shinsegae Mamee, a joint venture with Malaysian food company Mamee Double-Decker, had its first product certified by Jabatan Kemajuan Islam, a Malaysian halal certification body. The joint venture created a ramyeon brand called "Daebak" which means jackpot or big success in Korean.
The food giant said Daebak comes in two flavors -- Kimchi, a South Korean traditional cabbage pickled in a sauce made with red chili pepper and garlic, and seasoned fried chicken. Both have special liquid seasonings to add unique flavors.
Shinsegae said its Daebak ramyeon would be launched in Malaysia later this month. Some 80 percent of instant noodles in the world is consumed in the Asia Pacific region. Malaysia has a large domestic instant noodle market.
South Korea's spicy instant noodles have gained international popularity with the growing influence of K-pop. Instant noodle exports rose 32 percent on-year to 346.4 million US dollars in 2017, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
Halal food is free of ingredients that are not permissible under Islamic law. A survey conducted by the Korea Small Business Institute showed that Malaysia is the top destination for South Korean firms exporting halal food, followed by Indonesia.
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