Neo Crema Co., Ltd. is a developer and manufacturer of functional food ingredients. Specializing in functional sugars, the company is pioneering the development of essential nutrients, including proteins and fats, and various health-promoting functional food ingredients. Neo Cremar's efforts extend to the development of senior-friendly foods, such as alternative and cultured meat, to assist the elderly and patients with food intake, nutritional supplementation, digestion and absorption. Most notably, the company has been successful in the development and global export of a high content, high purity galacto-oligosaccharide, which is a healthy functional food ingredient. Neo Cremar is a KOSDAQ-listed company that has entered the healthcare industry and is conducting diverse research on various diseases, including the development of biologics, natural products and medicinal supplements. Having achieved global competitiveness in health functional materials, Neo Cremar recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with three domestic health functional food companies and Glac Biotech, a Taiwanese lactic acid bacteria specialist, which marked its transition into a full-fledged global health functional food company. In its groundbreaking achievement, Neo Cremar has received prebiotic skin health functionality certification in Korea, Japan, and Canada. Consumption of galacto-oligosaccharides shows benefits such as skin improvement and microbiome changes. In 2018, the company filed a patent for "skin care food composition and cosmetic composition comprising a sugar solution containing a high percentage of galacto-oligosaccharides," and in 2021, the company filed a patent for "functional food composition and cosmetic composition for improving immune function and skin condition comprising galacto-oligosaccharides or galacto-oligosaccharides and collagen tripeptides." Neo Cremar has successfully developed the world's first high-content, high-purity galacto-oligosaccharide. The company has validated its effectiveness in moisturizing, wrinkle reduction and skin whitening through human application tests. With a total of 20 domestic patents, these include a "Method for Manufacturing Galactooligosaccharide Enriched with Galactosylactose, a Breast Milk Component" and "Food Composition and Cosmetic Composition for Skin Beautification Comprising a Sugar Solution Containing a High Percentage of Galacto-oligosaccharide." In addition, they hold 11 international patents, with registrations in Germany, the United Kingdom, and France for "Yeast hydrolysate with anti-obesity and antioxidant activities." Neo Cremar recently received FDA approval for its Eatless (DNF-10) diet ingredient. This peptide is hydrolyzed from the company's proprietary natural yeast and serves as a functional food ingredient that helps reduce body fat by inhibiting fat synthesis. It is also effective in lowering cholesterol and controlling blood sugar. Whey protein hydrolysate was found to increase muscle strength, leading to a patent application in July 2023. In addition, galactooligosaccharides were found to promote the proliferation of beneficial bacteria and moisturize the skin. Neo Cremar also launched Nutrimate, a senior-friendly food brand. For people with swallowing difficulties and the elderly, Neo Cremar launched the "Yonharak Series," a product that is also suitable for people with certain medical conditions or the elderly that need help eating due to chewing and swallowing difficulties. It is a dietary supplement that can be processed like cooked food while retaining the original flavor and aroma, and has high deformability, condensability, and low adhesion for easy consumption.

Health functional foods include products that are manufactured and processed into tablets, capsules, powders, granules, liquids, etc., using raw materials or ingredients with functional benefits for the human body. Korea's famous "red ginseng extract" is a representative product in this category, which is traditionally recognized as a flagship health food. Despite the continued dominance of red ginseng in the domestic functional health food market, shifts are evident due to rising national income, an aging population, and the emergence of the 2030 generation. Increased consumer interest, especially among the 2030 generation, is notable in new health functional foods such as vitamins and probiotics. The positive perception and active consumption attitude of this generation is reshaping the domestic market, prompting the renewal of popular products and the dynamic development of new ones tailored to younger preferences. Inner beauty product lines that address both health and beauty are gaining momentum, with pomegranate-derived collagen products gaining prominence. Convenient, easy-to-consume healthy foods are being introduced in convenience stores frequented by young people. Red ginseng retains its number one ranking among the top five domestic health functional foods in 2022, but sales have steadily declined over the past five years. Probiotics, vitamins and minerals, oils that contain EPA and DHA, and proteins have risen in importance. Functional categories show "improving circulation" as the leading function, followed by memory enhancement, immune function, antioxidant function, and fatigue relief. Products that address these five key functions account for 59.6% of the total. Representative red ginseng products that have long been popular for health promotion include Korean Ginseng Corporation's Hongsamjung and Red Ginseng Extract Everytime. LactoFit Lactobacillus and EyeClear Lutein from Chong Kun Dang are also popular. HY's JangCare Project MPRO3 and Coopers, and Kolmar BNH Co.'s SQ Live Probiotics and Petit N Forvita+ multivitamins. Cosmax Bio's Prebiotics FOS Fructo-oligosaccharides Plus and AlphaProject Vascular Health. There are also Ever Collagen Time biotin and Today's Cut Diet Jelly from Cosmax NBT. Primary motivations for consumption of health functional foods include strengthening immunity with red ginseng, supplementing nutrition with vitamins, and improving gut health with lactic acid bacteria. Consumers also use these products for fatigue relief, general health improvement and disease prevention. Beauty effects have emerged as a growing consideration. Concerns about physical strength and immunity drive most household purchases of health functional foods, followed by concerns about future health. Women prioritize strength and immunity, while men consume these products primarily for future health.