An instant noodle for dogs launched two years ago by Youngin Bio has quickly become a sensational success in South Korea since then, becoming available across other Asian markets like Philippines, Singapore and India via Shopee e-commerce platform. Ansim Daengmyeon from Youngin Bio now enjoys widespread distribution.
A 2020 report by the World Instant Noodle Association indicated that 116.6 billion servings of instant noodles were eaten globally that year, with as many as 320 million consumed daily. China, Indonesia and Vietnam ranked as top three consumers, but South Korea boasted the highest per capita consumption at 79.7 servings per person – pet dogs even participating by gobbling down ramen noodles!
Youngin Bio was established in 2018 with the assistance of South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs as well as Wadiz crowdfunding platform to produce fermented food ingredients for both human and animal consumption. Their animal food line Dr. Pat Pat was developed in collaboration with veterinarians as an instant dog ramen treat; inspired by CEO Choi In-jeong’s pet poodle who enjoys eating hot noodles!
Ansim Daengmyeon, South Korea’s inaugural and only ramen for dogs, features white rice barley malt that’s rich in beta-glucan fiber and B vitamins for maximum digestive support. Dried pollack provides both amino acids and collagen. Meanwhile, its salt-free soup stock features yellow turmeric as well as live lactic acid bacteria for improved digestion.
Ansim Daengmyeon contains egg yolk, apple, chicken powder, sweet pumpkin, cabbage, carrots, spinach, broccoli and coconut oil – ingredients known to provide numerous health benefits for senior dogs. According to company and partner veterinarians alike, Ansim Daengmyeon can especially benefit elderly dogs due to the soft-chew noodles and nutritious broth found in this diet.
Ansim Daengmyeon special noodles should be boiled for three minutes to create the same experience as instant noodles for humans. Each pack comes with a powdered mix which should be added to the boiled noodles for creating broth; 70g packs cost around US$3.
Choi explained that their future research efforts will focus on products designed to restore companion animal health impacted by diseases and age-related degeneration. At Youngin Bio, their team is currently creating nutritional supplements and treats in the form of churros for this goal.