The Bio Future Food Industry Council (hereinafter referred to as the “Council”) held its 2025 regular general meeting and industry seminar at the L Tower in Seoul on the 6th and approved the 2024 business report and settlement (draft) and the 2025 budget (draft). 

At the general meeting, the first event since its establishment last year (under the Korea Biotechnology Industry Organization) where all member companies gathered to discuss this year’s budget and plans, the council’s inaugural chairman, Simple Planet CEO Jeong Il-doo, stated, “The bio-future food industry is a key industry for sustainable food supply and is growing rapidly through technological innovation and global cooperation.” He added, “The council plans to cooperate with member companies in various fields such as research and development, regulation, and market expansion with the goal of creating an industry-wide ecosystem.” He added, “We will continue to do our best to represent the voices of the industry and support domestic companies to become competitive on the global stage.”

Hanwha Solutions Executive Director Koo Ok-jae, who is the chairman of the steering committee, said, “This year’s council’s main business plans include hosting an industry seminar to gain industry trends and insights, holding panel discussions and IR events with global investors in the bio-future food sector, and participating in Bioplus-Interpex Korea (BIX), the largest domestic bio-industry event.” He added, “We will lay the foundation for the development of the industry through cooperation between domestic bio-future food companies and further strengthen the cooperative system with related organizations such as international organizations, governments, and media outlets.”

The seminar, held after the conclusion of the regular general meeting, was planned to provide information and raise awareness of the bio-future food industry, and was attended by approximately 80 people, including representatives from major domestic bio-future food companies.

In the first session, which was held with the topic of the current status of domestic research and industry, the latest technological trends were introduced through a presentation titled △ Core Technology of the Bio Industry: Cell Culture (Professor In-ho Choi, Yeungnam University), followed by a presentation titled △ Current Status and Promotion Plan of the Uiseong Cell Cultured Food Industry (Director Eun-mi Kim, Gyeongbuk TP Advanced Medical Convergence Textile Center) to share the status of the Cell Cultured Food Regulation-Free Special Zone project.

The second session covered topics such as global marketing, investment, and regulatory status, including: △ The market does not run on its own. - The path to becoming a product of choice in a new category - (HAE creative CEO Helen) △ Biokraft Foods & Cultivated Meat: A Sustainable Solution for Feeding a Billion (Biokraft Foods Kamalnayan Tibrewal CEO) △ Trend Analysis and Investment Thesis in the cell culture space (PLUG AND PLAY Jesus Deusa Alonso Ventures Associate) △ Global cell culture food regulatory trends and introduction to GFI (Good Food Institute La Yeon-ju South Korea Startup Lead)

Through this, we looked at the current status and future of bio-future foods, as well as the challenges of aligning regulations and economic feasibility, from various perspectives, including an alternative food consulting firm (HAE creative), India's first cultured meat company (Biokraft Foods), a global food tech investment firm (PLUG AND PLAY), and a global think tank (Good Food Institute).

Korea Biotechnology Industry Organization Executive Director Oh Ki-hwan said, “This was an opportunity to raise awareness of the industry by providing a platform for exchanges between member companies and sharing information on the current state of the bio-future food industry from various perspectives through presentations by domestic and foreign experts.”

Meanwhile, approvals for cultured meat are rapidly being granted overseas, including in the US, Singapore, and Israel. In Korea, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety is revising some of the "Temporary Standards and Specifications for Food, etc." and developing "Considerations for the Safety Assessment of Cell-Cultured Food Raw Materials." With the establishment of licensing regulations for cultured meat both domestically and internationally, the cultured meat market is emerging as a key sector for future biofoods.

The Bio Future Food Industry Council was launched under the Korea Biotechnology Industry Association in July of last year. Its mission is to foster cooperation between upstream and downstream companies, and to foster and revitalize the bio future food industry, including cultured meat. The bio future food industry, including cultured meat and alternative foods, is expected to contribute to solving future food challenges by applying innovative biotechnology, such as cell culture, to explore sustainable solutions for the supply of alternative materials.

A total of 33 companies, including cultured meat development companies and major food companies, are participating as member companies of the council. 

There are 7 companies developing cultured meat, including Simple Planet, Seaweed, Danagreen, Cellqua, Space F, Everythingbot, and Thyssen Biopharm; 5 food companies, including Daesang, CJ CheilJedang, Sempio Foods, HY (formerly Korea Yakult), and Shinsegae Food; 2 chemical companies, including Hanwha Solutions and Lotte Fine Chemical; 2 yeast and alternative protein developers, including Biocraft and Union House; 14 culture media, cell line, and growth factor developers, including Excel Therapeutics, Amicogen, Bioapp, K-Cell Bioscience, Dussel Biotherapeutics, Gropec Bio, Neocrema, LatBio, Cellapy Bio, Sky Bioscience, ANPOLY, MK Biotech, Eastec Bio, and Kai Bio; and 3 manufacturing process developers, including Microdigital, Thermo Fisher Scientific Korea, and Korea Agilent Technologies.