Oct 30, 2026
South Korean food and nutrition company hy (formerly Korea Yakult) has released a new deer velvet-based health functional food aimed at supporting muscle strength in older adults, marking the latest addition to a growing range of regulated health applications for New Zealand velvet.
Marketed as Balhyo Nokyong G Premium (Fermented Deer Velvet G Premium), the dual product pairs fermented deer velvet tablets, with increased active ingredients through hy’s proprietary probiotic strain, with a fermented red ginseng concentrate. Its key ingredient – in this case NZ deer velvet – received approval from South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) as a health functional food ingredient associated with maintaining muscle strength that may decline with age.
The launch is noteworthy because health functional food approvals in South Korea require companies to invest in research and provide evidence supporting specific health claims. Unlike traditional health supplements, or health foods as they are known in the Korean system, approved products can make clearly defined functional claims under Korea's regulatory system.
The muscle-health category is attracting increasing attention as South Korea's population ages and consumers seek products that support healthy ageing and physical wellbeing. Rather than broad wellness products, many health functional foods are now being developed around specific outcomes such as immune health, prostate health, cognitive performance, and muscle maintenance.
The hy launch also follows a series of recent developments that have expanded deer velvet's presence within South Korea's regulated health functional food sector. In late 2024, Kwangdong Pharmaceutical launched what was described as the world's first health functional food product featuring deer velvet as the key ingredient, targeting prostate health after securing approval from Korean regulators based on human clinical research.
More recently, Yuhan Care launched HENKIV IMMUNE, an immune-health product built around a proprietary New Zealand deer velvet extract. The product carries an individually recognised functional claim approved by Korean authorities following years of research and clinical testing.
Taken together, these launches highlight the increasingly diverse ways deer velvet is being incorporated into South Korea's health functional food market. While each product targets a different consumer need, ranging from prostate and immune health through to muscle maintenance, they share a common characteristic: significant investment in scientific validation and regulatory approval.
For New Zealand velvet producers, this trend is significant because it reflects an evolution in how velvet is positioned within one of the industry's most important export markets. Historically, velvet was sold primarily through traditional tonic and gifting channels. Today, companies are increasingly seeking to incorporate New Zealand velvet into products backed by clinical research and evidence-based health claims.
That does not guarantee commercial success. South Korea's health functional food sector is highly competitive, and neither regulatory approval nor a new product launch automatically translates into strong consumer demand. However, the willingness of major Korean companies to invest in research, clinical studies and regulatory pathways does provide further evidence of the credibility that New Zealand deer velvet is building within the market.
The trend also aligns with growing consumer interest in ingredient provenance, quality assurance, and traceability. New Zealand velvet's reputation for quality, underpinned by systems such as VelTrak and the industry's wider quality assurance programmes, is frequently highlighted by Korean companies marketing premium velvet products.
While it remains too early to assess the commercial impact of any individual product, the latest hy launch adds another example of deer velvet being validated for use in a specific health application. For farmers, it is further evidence that Korean companies continue to see value in investing in science-backed products featuring New Zealand velvet.
