Business · Companies · 4 hrs ago
CJ’s Haetban uses sterile packaging to stay fresh for nine months
CJ CheilJedang’s Haetban is celebrating 30 years as a ready-to-eat rice brand in South Korea.
The rice is made at the company’s CJ Blossom Campus in Jincheon, where production includes sterilising rice and sealed containers.
A sterile process lets the rice keep for nine months at room temperature without preservatives.
The company says it uses rice milled on the day it is cooked because older rice can lose freshness and develop an off smell.
Carefully designed containers and packaging help keep out oxygen, retain moisture and withstand handling.
Haetban holds more than 60% of South Korea’s instant rice market, according to the article.
The company aims to make rice dishes from around the world using its technology.
CJ CheilJedang’s Jincheon factory produces 280 million cups of Hetbahn a year.
The factory is part of CJ Blossom Campus in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province.
Hetbahn is made with rice milled on the day it is used, according to CJ CheilJedang.
The company says its sterile production process allows the rice to be stored at room temperature for nine months without preservatives.
CJ CheilJedang launched Hetbahn in 1996 and invested at least 10 billion won in sterile packaging equipment.
- Who
- CJ CheilJedang makes Hetbahn at its Jincheon factory.
- What
- The factory produces 280 million cups of Hetbahn a year.
- When
- The factory was visited on October 21; the articles were published on October 24, 2026.
- Where
- CJ Blossom Campus in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, South Korea.
- Why
- Not stated.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
CJ CheilJedang launched Hetbahn and invested at least 10 billion won in sterile packaging equipment.
A 30th-anniversary press briefing was held at CJ Blossom Campus, where the Jincheon factory was visited.
Donga Ilbo and Chosun Ilbo published articles about Hetbahn and its production.
- Annual production
- 280 million Hetbahn cups
- Factory location
- CJ Blossom Campus, Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province
- Product launch
- 1996
- Room-temperature storage
- Nine months without preservatives
- Patents
- 267 domestic and international patents held by the Hetbahn brand
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What people are saying
We are doing research and development with the belief that we can make every kind of rice in the world into Hetbahn.
Beyond white rice and mixed-grain rice, our ultimate goal is to develop the technology to make various rice dishes from around the world into Hetbahn.