Emart24, a South Korean convenience store chain, is replacing frozen pork with fresh chilled domestic pork, branded as "Handon," for its lunchbox main dishes.
Emart24 said Monday it has overhauled its lunchbox lineup in response to growing market demand for lunchboxes as well as rising consumer expectations for taste and ingredient quality. The company improved everything from meat sourcing to cooking methods.
First, Emart24 is using unfrozen, domestically sourced chilled pork to enhance the flavor and texture of the meat and improve the overall taste and quality of its lunchboxes. Chilled meat retains better texture than frozen meat because it does not undergo a thawing process, and it delivers a softer, more moist result even after cooking. Emart24 has also added the label "Made with Handon chilled pork" to lunchbox packaging so customers can easily recognize the ingredient change.
The company is also changing the manufacturing process for lunchbox meat. Previously, meat and vegetables were cooked together. Going forward, vegetables such as green onions and onions will be placed first, and the meat will be cooked separately in measured portions before being added. The change aims to minimize variation in meat weight across lunchboxes and deliver more consistent quality.
In addition to the meat, Emart24 is improving the recipe for stir-fried kimchi, a common side dish across all lunchbox products. The company plans to adjust the umami flavor and balance of the kimchi so it harmonizes better with the main dish, boosting overall meal satisfaction.
The overhaul will be applied sequentially starting with lunchboxes produced on May 27. Six products will feature the chilled pork: △Quattro Meat Feast △Half-and-Half Meat Feast △Hearty Jeyuk & Donkatsu Set △Bulgogi Full Lunchbox △5G Championship Synergy Lunchbox △Dachan Special Set. Emart24 plans to use chilled pork in new products going forward as well.
"We made comprehensive improvements from raw ingredients to manufacturing methods to raise the quality of the main dish, which is the most important part of a lunchbox," said Yoo Young-min, a merchandiser on Emart24's fresh food team. "We plan to continue pursuing quality innovations that customers can truly feel."
Meanwhile, Emart24 has also strengthened its gimbap lineup beyond lunchboxes. Starting this month, the company rebranded all gimbap products under the "Olbareun Gimbap" (Right Gimbap) series and increased the average weight of rice and toppings by approximately 11%. The company also improved the rice flavor by cooking it with kelp broth.
