CJ CheilJedang Expands 'Hetbahn Low-Protein Rice' Support to Adult Rare Disease Patients

MOU Signed with Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and Korea Rare and Intractable Disease Association

Manufacturing Cost More Than Twice as High Due to Special Processing Steps

Kim Chanho, CEO of Strategic Support Division at CJ CheilJedang (right in the photo), Lim Seunggwan, Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (center), and Yoo Jihyun, President of the Korea Rare and Intractable Disease Association, are taking a commemorative photo after signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the 9th at the Korea Rare and Intractable Disease Association in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. Photo by CJ CheilJedang.

CJ CheilJedang is expanding its support for special dietary foods for patients with rare congenital metabolic disorders, such as phenylketonuria (PKU). Since 2009, CJ CheilJedang has been producing 'Hetbahn Low-Protein Rice' for children suffering from phenylketonuria and other congenital metabolic diseases.

On the 9th, CJ CheilJedang announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and the Korea Rare and Intractable Disease Association to establish a support system for the purchase of special dietary foods for rare disease patients. The new support system is scheduled to be implemented from July 1, following the completion of the online system.

This agreement was promoted to establish a public-private partnership system so that rare disease patients who require lifelong special dietary foods can reliably receive 'Hetbahn Low-Protein Rice' even after reaching adulthood. Under the agreement, adult patients (aged 19 and above) with rare congenital metabolic disorders will be able to apply for pre-purchase of special dietary foods on a quarterly basis through the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's dedicated online platform 'Rare Disease Helpline.'

CJ CheilJedang explained that, until now, adult patients have faced difficulties securing special dietary foods, often having to purchase leftover supplies individually after support for those under the age of 19 ends or relying on expensive overseas products.

Hetbahn Low-Protein Rice is a product with protein content reduced to one-tenth that of regular Hetbahn (white rice). The cumulative production has reached approximately 2.9 million units to date. As the product requires a special process that takes 24 hours just for protein breakdown after rice milling, the production time is more than 10 times longer than for regular Hetbahn, and the manufacturing cost is more than twice as high.

Kim Chanho, CEO of the Strategic Support Division at CJ CheilJedang, stated, "Through this agreement, we have established a foundation to reliably supply the product to patients aged 19 and above," and added, "We will do our best in production and supply with a strong sense of mission."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.