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By Kwak Yeon-soo
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| Dongwon F&B's pet treats brand "JerHigh" products / Courtesy of Dongwon F&B |
In Korea last year, pets were estimated to be a 3 trillion won ($2.5 billion) business, up 57 percent from 1.9 trillion won in 2015, according to data from NongHyup Economic Research Institute. By 2027, the research institute expects the figure to rise to 6 trillion won.
About 30 percent of local households, or 15 million people, have at least one pet, it added.
Dongwon F&B announced it has collaborated with Thailand's leading food company Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF) to introduce pet treats brand Jerhigh to Korea.
Jerhigh, made from chicken prepared to human grade standards, is currently shipped to around 20 countries, including Australia, Canada, Singapore and India, according to the company.
"The clean ingredient trend isn't limited to human food," a Dongwon F&B official said. "We've developed treats that contain healthy ingredients and offer better nutrition."
Harim Group, Korea's poultry giant, tapped into the pet food and treats industry in 2017, and since then has been expanding its business.
It owns a 15,905 square meter production plant in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province, exclusively built for the production of pet foods and treats.
The pet food plant also houses an exhibition room, movie theater, doggy care center and cafeteria for visitors with their pets.
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| Mr.Pizza's "petzza" product / Courtesy of MP Group |
The company explained that "petzza," a Konglish portmanteau combining "pet" and "pizza," is made with rice flour dough and lactose-free, salt-free cheese for easy digestion.
"Pets have become an essential part of everyday life, especially for single-person households and senior citizens. With the trend, it was natural for us to come up with petzza," said an official at MPK Group, which owns pizza the Mr.Pizza franchise.
"We will continue to roll out products that are tailored to diversified consumer lifestyles and needs."
In December last year, Burger King introduced a version of its classic Whopper for dogs known as "Dogpper." The treat features the taste of its grilled beef patties, but resembles a dog bone.
Despite the booming pet care industry, some have raised concerns about the safety of pet food and treats.
The Korea Consumer Agency warned of delivering wrongful information or adding artificial preservatives that could raise pet health concerns.
"Sixteen of 25 pet food manufacturers used sorbic acid, an artificial preservative," the agency stated in a report. "Eleven of them did not properly indicate the date of manufacture or expiration date, or write labels on the package labels."
