Contract Food Manufacturing in Korea — OEM, ODM and Private Label
Seobifood is a Korean B2B food manufacturing partner combining a hydrolyzed chicken protein ingredient (CHP-SB) with a consortium of HACCP and GMP certified partner plants. Tell us the category, volume and destination market and you get a quote within one business day, with 2–3 matched production lines including capacity, certification scope and indicative unit cost.
Three contract manufacturing models
You supply the formulation and specification; our partner plant produces, packs and releases it under your brand. Best when the recipe is already validated.
We design the formulation, run pilot batches and hand over a production-ready spec. Best for new categories or reformulation with a protein or claim target.
Apply your brand to a validated Seobifood SKU with your own artwork and pack format. Fastest route to a first launch or a marketplace test.
Categories we contract manufacture
How a project runs (7 steps, 8–14 weeks)
- Quote request and NDA — 1 business day
- Specification and formulation lock — 1–2 weeks
- Partner plant matching — 3–5 business days
- Pilot production — 2–4 weeks
- Label and claim review for the destination market — 1–2 weeks
- Mass production — 4–8 weeks
- QC release and shipment — 1 week
Certification and export coverage
- HACCP, health functional food GMP, FSSC 22000, Halal and cGMP partner lines
- US FDA 21 CFR 101/111 label and claim screening
- EU Regulation 1169/2011 and EFSA authorised claim filtering
- Japan Foods with Function Claims and Tokuho labeling rules
- GCC and Southeast Asia certificates and customs documentation
Why brands choose a Korean contract manufacturer
Korean plants combine short pilot cycles with strict domestic food safety enforcement, so a formulation can move from draft to validated batch faster than in markets where pilot slots are scheduled months ahead. For protein products specifically, local access to hydrolyzed chicken protein, whey blends and stick-pack lines keeps both material cost and packaging lead time inside one supply chain.
Frequently asked questions
- What is contract food manufacturing?
- Contract food manufacturing is production outsourced to a third-party plant that makes, packs and quality-tests a product under your brand. In Korea it is usually structured as OEM (you supply the formula), ODM (the manufacturer develops the formula) or OBM/private label (you brand an existing SKU).
- How is a contract manufacturer different from a co-packer?
- A co-packer typically only produces and packs to a formula and spec you provide — the equivalent of OEM. A contract manufacturer may also develop the formulation, source ingredients and handle regulatory filings, which is closer to ODM.
- What is the minimum order quantity (MOQ)?
- MOQ depends on dosage form: RTD beverages 1,000–3,000 units, protein bars 1,000–2,000, powders and sticks 1,000, jelly sticks 2,000, tablets and capsules in GMP lines 1,000. Private label of an existing SKU starts at 500 units.
- How long does contract manufacturing take from quote to shipment?
- Typical lead time is 8–14 weeks for OEM, 6–12 weeks for ODM and 2–4 weeks for private label of an existing SKU. Health functional foods add 4–8 weeks for filings and label review.
- How much does contract food manufacturing cost?
- Unit cost is driven by raw material cost (usually 50–70% for protein products), dosage form and packaging, process yield, and volume tier. The same formula can differ 20–35% per unit between a 1,000-unit and a 5,000-unit run.
- Do you support export markets such as the US, EU and Japan?
- Yes. We screen claims and labels against FDA 21 CFR 101/111, EU Regulation 1169/2011 with EFSA claim rules, and Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency Foods with Function Claims framework, and we prepare certificates and customs documents.
- Are your partner plants certified?
- Our partner consortium holds HACCP, health functional food GMP, FSSC 22000, Halal and cGMP certifications. Certification scope is verified per item and per line before a project is assigned.
- Can you manufacture if we do not have a formula yet?
- Yes. Seobi AI Formula Lab generates a formulation draft, nutrition estimate and permitted claim list from your category, target protein level, dosage form and market — free of charge — and it converts directly into a quote request.
- Is our recipe and IP protected?
- An NDA is signed at the quote stage. Recipes and specifications supplied by the brand are restricted to that project and may not be reused or resold.
- What does a quote request need to include?
- Category, dosage form, target volume, destination market and any required certifications are enough for a first quote. We respond within one business day with 2–3 matched plants including capacity, certifications and indicative pricing.
