South Korean food companies are gathering in Paris to push deeper into the European market. They are widening their lineups beyond export staples such as instant noodles and ice cream to include plant-based desserts, Korean-style bakery goods and health supplements, as they move to secure local distribution channels.
Nongshim (004370), Samyang Foods (003230), Binggrae and SPC Samlip will take part in SIAL Paris 2026, held from the 17th to the 21st at the Paris Nord Villepinte exhibition center, according to the food industry on the 17th. Held every two years, SIAL Paris ranks alongside Anuga in Germany and Foodex in Japan as one of the world's three largest food trade fairs. About 8,000 companies from roughly 130 countries are expected to attend this year.
Binggrae will introduce its Banana Flavored Milk to the European market for the first time at the event. The company is also adding new flavors to its plant-based Melona and plant-based Samanco bars already sold locally, broadening consumer choice. Melona will come in strawberry and pistachio, while Samanco will be offered in strawberry, matcha and chocolate.
Binggrae also plans to showcase Melona Sparkling, an extension of its ice cream brand into beverages. The idea is to diversify its lineup from frozen products into drinks that can be distributed at room temperature, widening sales opportunities in Europe. The company has expanded exports centered on plant-based products to cope with Europe's strict dairy regulations.
Samyang Foods is attending SIAL Paris for the first time this year. The company will set up an exhibition booth in the Korea pavilion and a separate buyer meeting space in the innovation hall, running brand promotion and export talks at the same time. Its flagship Buldak brand and pasta brand Tangle will each be presented in their own space, with characters and oversized product sculptures used to draw visitors.
Tasting events will be held four times a day at the venue, featuring Buldak Original and Carbo Buldak as well as Tangle Creamy Mushroom, Garlic Oil and Bulgogi. With European revenue of 80.6 billion won ($56 million) in the second quarter, up 61% from a year earlier, Samyang Foods plans to use the fair to further expand its local distribution network.
SPC Samlip is leading with Korean-style bakery items and traditional desserts. It will display about 40 products, including Samlip hotteok, hoppang steamed buns, yakgwa honey cookies and cream bread, along with soft cheesecake and mini Boreumdal cakes currently sold at Costco in the United States. Noodles, sauces and processed meat products will also be presented to show overseas buyers the breadth of its lineup.
Four items in particular — kimchi hoppang, yakbap burrito, jocheong spread and mayo dip — were named to the SIAL Innovation Selection, which recognizes innovative food products. The kimchi hoppang combines fermented sweet rice drink culture with kimchi, while the yakbap burrito reworks traditional yakbap sweet rice with jujubes, chestnuts and pine nuts into a convenient format. The jocheong spread uses upcycled wheat bran with traditional grain syrup, and the mayo dip is a plant-based mayonnaise with laver and kimchi. Among them, the yakbap burrito was also selected for SIAL Taste, a separate tasting and promotion program.
SPC Samlip plans to use the event as a springboard for expanding its overseas business. It aims to lift global revenue, currently about 75 billion won ($52 million), to 500 billion won ($347 million) by 2030. Revenue from Costco in the U.S. is also targeted to grow from 30 billion won ($21 million) this year to 150 billion won ($104 million) by 2030, with sales channels extended to other countries and retail partners.
Nongshim will introduce Shin Ramyun Rose to the European market for the first time. Dermacollagen Signature RN, from its health supplement brand Lifil, was named to the SIAL Innovation Selection, allowing the company to highlight its technology in health supplements as well as food. The product uses a low-molecular collagen peptide NS with a size of 173 daltons, developed in-house by Nongshim.
Industry officials expect the fair to serve as an opportunity to broaden K-food's business footprint in Europe. The strategy is to convert interest in Korean spicy flavors and traditional snacks into actual distribution contracts, while opening new markets with products tailored to local demand such as plant-based foods and convenience meals.