Pulmuone is conducting various research, development, and programs to enhance food accessibility in order to provide a sustainable Jigusikdan. To improve physical accessibility, Pulmuone runs “Dietary Improvement Projects,” including wholesome Foods Campaign and Kimchi School targeting elderly residents in rural areas, multicultural families, and persons with disabilities. For economic accessibility, Pulmuone offers single-serving packages for single-person households and support programs for low-income families with young children. Additionally, to enhance informational accessibility, Pulmuone developed a Food Labeling Auto-Completion Platform applied to production processes, providing customers with accurate food-related information. Design Meal’s “Pul’s Care” senior-friendly certified products also improve food and nutrition accessibility for older adults.

Customized New Products for Single-Person Households

As the number and diversity of single-person households increase, Pulmuone offers products in various package sizes ranging from single servings to large bulk packs. For example, the newly launched small-portion “Organic Mini Soft Tofu” maintains the freshness of leftover ingredients and reduces storage burdens, enabling customers to use fresh tofu as needed with improved hygiene and management ease. In addition, Pulmuone offers an array of products designed for single servings, individually packaged items for one-time consumption, as well as large kilogram-sized bulk packages suitable for big families. These products are available on the official Pulmuone store (https://shop.pulmuone.co.kr/).

Improving Nutrition Accessibility for Low-Income Groups

Pulmuone actively implements various support programs to improve nutrition accessibility for low-income populations. Since 2022, Pulmuone Foodmuth has provided monthly healthy snack packs to low-income families with young children using facilities in Gyeyang District, Incheon. During the COVID-19 period, Pulmuone Waters also donated approximately 240,000 bottles of water to social welfare facilities and low-income households.

Technology Development to Enhance Price Accessibility of Healthy Products

To improve price accessibility for healthy products, Pulmuone has developed technologies that extend product shelf life and minimize food waste. Pulmuone Waters extended its product expiration date from six months to 18 months after obtaining approval from the Ministry of Environment through periodic water quality analyses. Through innovative manufacturing and quality management, Pulmuone extended the tofu shelf life* to 30 days (compared to the usual 5 days in China). The development of room-temperature fresh noodle technology also prolonged shelf life while maintaining fresh noodle quality and taste, allowing consumers to purchase during sales periods and store products for later consumption. Frozen meal kits utilize slow freezing and rapid freezing methods to maintain freshness and extend shelf life. These advancements help reduce food waste, curb unnecessary purchases, promote rational consumption, and contribute to overall food price stability.

The expiration date indicates the period during which a product can be distributed and sold after production, but consumers often perceive it as the “safe-to-eat” period. Pulmuone widely promotes the concept of “consumption period” through its official blog. (Link: [Delicious Q] Can I eat tofu past its expiration date?)