It was found that imports of sterilized milk (sterilized milk) increased by more than 40% last year as food prices increased one after another in the aftermath of high prices.
According to the 'Agricultural Outlook 2023' report by the Korea Rural Economic Institute on the 23rd, the amount of sterilized oil imported last year was estimated at 33,000 tons, up 42.0% from the previous year.
Sterilized milk is milk that has been heated at a very high temperature and can be stored for two to three months at room temperature.
In Korea, it is known that imports have increased rapidly since 2016.
In the report, the Agricultural Research and Development Research Institute said, “Demand for sterilized milk is steadily increasing because it is easy to store and relatively inexpensive.” did," he explained.
Looking at the share of imports by country, Poland had the highest share at 75.1%, followed by Germany (10.0%), Italy (7.7%), and Australia (5.3%).
In an online survey of 527 consumers by researchers, 17.5% of respondents said they had ever purchased sterilized oil.
As for the reason for purchase, many respondents said 'because it is easy to store' (30.7%) and 'because the price is cheap' (29.7%).
In addition, there were also comments such as 'because I'm curious' (15.6%) and 'because it tastes good' (12.0%).