The three relaunched products [Rural Development Administration]
The three relaunched products [Rural Development Administration]

Low-sugar beverages made with domestic strawberries, Jeju cheonhyehyang citrus and chuhwangbae pears are returning to convenience store shelves nationwide. The drinks preserve the natural flavor of the fruit while cutting sugar content, and are expected to help expand sales channels for regional farms.

The Rural Development Administration said Thursday it launched three "regional co-prosperity ade" drinks at Seven-Eleven stores across the country.

The lineup consists of Seven Select Myeongin Strawberry Ade Zero Sugar, Seven Select Jeju Cheonhyehyang Ade Zero Sugar and Seven Select Sweet Chuhwangbae Ade No Added Sugar.

The zero-sugar products contain no added sugar or have significantly reduced sugar content. The no-added-sugar product adds no sugars during manufacturing, though naturally occurring sugars from the source fruit may still be present.

The products reflect the "healthy pleasure" consumer trend of enjoying flavorful food while managing one's health. All ingredients — myeongin strawberries, Jeju cheonhyehyang citrus and domestically grown chuhwangbae pears — are sourced entirely from within South Korea.

The Rural Development Administration said it expects selling regional produce through convenience store beverages to help farmers secure stable sales channels and increase their income.

A consumer event will be held to mark the launch. Starting Saturday, the Rural Development Administration will run a 10-day promotion in which participants who comment on its official social media channels recommending their favorite ade will be entered into a draw for mobile gift vouchers.

The Rural Development Administration and Seven-Eleven signed an MOU in August 2021 and have since introduced more than 10 co-prosperity beverages using cheonhyehyang citrus, strawberries, chuhwangbae pears and other produce. The partnership was recognized last year as an outstanding example of agriculture-business cooperation by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corporation.

"When regional produce connects with products that are part of consumers' everyday lives, farmers gain broader sales channels," Rural Development Administration chief Lee Seung-don said. "We will analyze convenience store sales data and consumer responses to identify additional regional agricultural products with strong commercial potential."


adastra@heraldcorp.com