[Edaily Reporter SIN SOO-JUNG ] CJ Freshway Corporation(051500)is expanding its development of products exclusively for restaurant franchises, strengthening its menu R&D capabilities beyond food ingredient distribution.

CJ Freshway Corporation announced on the 25th that it has launched approximately 800 new products tailored to franchise brands over the past three years since the launch of its R&D Center in June 2023. Related sales have grown by an average of about 3.5 times annually.

The CJ Freshway Corporation R&D Center is an organization that integrates personnel from product development, menu planning, and manufacturing R&D. It transforms recipes owned by franchise brands into products that can be easily prepared in stores and designs flavors and cooking methods tailored to new menu concepts.

In the foodservice sector, developing brand-specific sauces is key. By incorporating the unique flavor profiles of client brands into products, the center helps streamline the cooking process and ensures consistent taste and quality across all stores nationwide. Notable examples include the tteokbokki sauce for Stella Tteokbokki and “Witch’s Soup” for the salad franchise Saleria.

The R&D Center develops more than 1,000 foodservice sauce recipes annually. It manages a database of ingredients, blending ratios, taste, aroma, and texture evaluation results, as well as client requirements, which is utilized for new menu development and the improvement of existing products.

In the foodservice sector, the company is concurrently developing products that streamline cooking processes to reduce the burden of large-scale meal preparation. Representative examples include meat products—such as soy sauce-marinated bulgogi—that have undergone pre-processing and seasoning, as well as base products for soups, stews, and hot pots.

CJ Freshway Corporation also established a Culinary Science Team this year to strengthen its field verification capabilities. Researchers with professional culinary experience verify that the taste and quality of products are consistently maintained in actual foodservice and institutional dining settings.

Based on collaboration between the R&D Center and the product and sales organizations, the company plans to provide integrated solutions covering everything from product planning to R&D, production, supply, and delivery. For franchise clients expanding overseas, it also proposes products tailored to local ingredients, food culture, and cooking and distribution environments.

A CJ Freshway Corporation official stated, “Bringing a brand’s unique taste to life through our products is the core competency of our R&D Center,” adding, “Through this, we support the standardization of menu quality across stores and the development of new menu items.” The official continued, “We will continue to expand customized solutions that reflect on-site demand to help enhance our clients’ operational efficiency and menu competitiveness.”