韩国保健品企业拟借 Vitafoods Asia 拓展海外渠道，但暂无订单或业绩增量

South Korean health supplement makers are pushing to expand overseas sales channels as growth in the domestic market slows. To do so, they plan to court global buyers with proprietary ingredients and manufacturing technology as well as finished products.
Chong Kun Dang Health, Dongwha Pharm, Daewon Healthcare, Handok Healthcare, Huons N and Woori Group will present flagship products and technologies at Vitafoods Asia 2026, Asia's largest health supplement trade show, to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, from Sept. 2 to 4, according to industry officials on the 31st.
Stalling growth at home is cited as the reason companies are looking abroad. The domestic health supplement market totaled 5.96 trillion won ($4.4 billion) last year based on consumer purchases, up just 0.2% from a year earlier, according to the Korea Health Supplements Association. Sales by domestic companies tallied by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety rose 1.9% to 4.09 trillion won. Exports, by contrast, grew 14.2% to $318.17 million in 2025 from $278.64 million in 2024, a double-digit gain. "As the domestic market reaches saturation, companies are looking for new sales channels overseas," an industry official said. "Competition is broadening beyond exports of finished products to include proprietary ingredients and manufacturing capabilities."
This year's Vitafoods Asia will be about 30% larger than last year's. Some 800 companies will fill 30,000 square meters of exhibition space, covering the entire health supplement supply chain from ingredients and materials to contract manufacturing, services and equipment, and finished products.
Makers of finished products are seeking to add export markets for their flagship brands. Chong Kun Dang Health, attending for a third consecutive year, will hold buyer meetings and explore export opportunities centered on its Lacto-Fit and I'm Vita brands. Cell Biotech plans to target children's probiotics markets in Vietnam and the Philippines, building on Duolac, a probiotics brand sold in 50 countries. Dongwha Pharm will gauge Southeast Asian consumer response and business conditions for its Whal Myung Su and Magram products, while Daewon Healthcare will introduce new products including Kkuljam Shot and seek original equipment manufacturing (OEM) customers.
Ingredient makers are putting proprietary materials front and center. Handok Healthcare will present Theracurmin, a curcumin ingredient with improved absorption, and Ildong Bioscience will showcase probiotics ingredients. Huons N will promote a one-stop solution combining individually approved functional ingredients with OEM and original development manufacturing (ODM) services. Woori Group also plans to explore overseas business opportunities with an integrated value chain spanning liposome ingredient development, OEM and ODM manufacturing, and brand distribution. "Korean companies will pursue export growth with a two-pronged strategy — using finished products to win local consumers and distribution networks, and ingredients and manufacturing technology to capture business-to-business demand," another industry official said.