by Elizabeth Uehling
Every small business startup, every collaborator joins Nebraska Innovation Campus for a different reason. Suji Park, however, stands alone as the first international business to locate on the research campus of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
With Food Dreams Made Real, doing business as Suji’s Korean Cuisine, Park is collaborating with The Food Processing Center in the UNL Department of Food Science and Technology to commercialize foods from her native South Korea. Park calls herself “chief inspirational officer” of the company.
“I love food,” Park said. “Food brings everyone together. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from, or your background, education or culture. Good food brings
people together.”
As an entrepreneur and business person, Park saw opportunity based on market trends, which showed increased interest in Korean food across the United States. “Our goal was to bring innovative Korean cuisine products to the global market,” she said, branding her products in a way similar to other popular products on store shelves.
Park knew she needed help to achieve her dream of bringing Korean food products to the world market. But the help came in a surprising way.
Stumbling onto Nebraska
Park attended an International Food Technology (IFT) convention in Las Vegas in 2012, where she took a mini-course called “Food Science for the Non-Food Scientist,” taught by John Rupnow, UNL professor of food science and technology. She visited with Rupnow after the class and explained her goals of finding the right flavors for the U.S. palate and commercializing Korean food products for the international market. Rupnow connected her with Laurie Keeler, then manager for product development at The Food Processing Center, a part of the UNL Department of Food Science and Technology. Keeler was staffing a booth at the IFT convention and introduced Park to the services of The Food Processing Center.
“I said ‘where’s Nebraska?’ and Laurie said ‘it’s in the middle of the U.S.,” Park said. Within a few months, Park was in Lincoln meeting with Department Head Rolando Flores and others who would help her move her business forward.
A year later, Park had moved to Nebraska to have access to the services of The Food Processing Center.
In the summer of 2015, the entire Department of Food Science and Technology moved to Nebraska Innovation Campus, to a building called the Food Innovation Center. The building contains teaching laboratories, classrooms, research facilities and The Food Processing Center. The facilities of The Food Processing Center increased in capacity with the move to the Food Innovation Center, from three pilot plants in 8,000 square feet in the former location, to seven pilot plants in 20,000 square feet in the new location. Suji’s Korean Cuisine’s culinary team accesses the people, sensory laboratory, research laboratory and pilot plant facilities to test flavors, recipes and processes, then works with the center’s specialists on labeling the products.
“We developed all of the product lines,” Park said. “Now, we have 10 products,” she added, including beef bulgogi, which is Korean barbecue; rice bowls; and sauces used on pizzas, wings and fried chicken. Park said 80 percent of Suji’s Korean Cuisine products are USDA-approved and label-approved, with assistance from The Food Processing Center team.
Making and marketing Suji’s Korean Cuisine
Some of Suji’s Korean Cuisine products were launched in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln dining halls, but most products are being marketed elsewhere. By the middle of 2016, her products had launched in more than 200 Costco stores — about half of those in the United States, Texas powerhouse H.E.B. Supermarkets, and through other regional retail outlets.
Meeting consumers’ expectations requires more than the perfect recipe; it is essential to understand trends, according to Park. There are three words that represent trends in the food industry: convenience, authenticity and “clean label.” Park said consumers want convenience — restaurant-quality food at home that can be served within just a few minutes. Consumers also desire authenticity — food made with ingredients that would actually be used in the food product’s country of origin. For example, Park said some companies use tomato puree in Korean-inspired food products — but tomato puree is not used in Korea. Younger people, especially, want to see authentic food ingredients. Finally, Park said, a “clean label” means the product is healthy and minimally processed.
All of Suji’s Korean Cuisine products are made in the United States, collaborating with food manufacturers to produce the products on a commercial scale instead of buying her own production equipment. “We want to use the latest technologies and techniques in the world,” she said, and by contracting with other food companies, she can accomplish that.
Nebraska Innovation Campus
“Having Nebraska Innovation Campus as a physical facility with smart students and faculty, and the private sector is a like a marriage,” Park said. “That’s how I see Nebraska Innovation Campus. It’s a great opportunity, especially for small companies like us, to have opportunities to work with the academics and big companies,” she added.
“Personally, I believe Nebraska Innovation Campus is the future of Nebraska.”