Maxim, T.O.P. and Kanu get an upgrade

New packaging for coffee beverages from Dongsuh Foods. [DONGSUH FOODS]

Dongsuh Foods announced Tuesday an upgrade to its coffee beverages line-up - Maxim, Kanu and T.O.P. - as part of its sixth regular renewal.

The renewal, which the company calls “restaging,” has come roughly every four years since the first one in 1996. Changes are applied to product quality, technology and package design based on a customer review process.

Dongsuh said that the accumulated consumer research showed that consumers today put a higher emphasis on pricing, have a keen taste for coffee’s rich flavor, want a larger range of products and expect the beverages to be easy to drink.

To fill consumers’ needs for a rich aroma, Dongsuh developed a special technology that better preserves the coffee bean’s original flavor in all of its products.

The company also pointed out that there was a diverse demand for the level of sweetness in the coffee, which prompted the release of products with different sweetness levels.

This year, it is planning to release Maxim Mocca Gold Simple Latte, which contains no sugar at all. The product is notable considering how the company’s successful flagship Maxim Mocca Gold sticks were popular due to their sweetness for decades.

A new latte will be added to the premium ground coffee stick Kanu range. The Kanu Double Shot Latte will have a higher content of coffee powder compared to the original Kanu Latte released earlier this year.

Established in 1968, Dongsuh is widely known for its Maxim coffee mix.

BY SONG KYOUNG-SON [song.kyoungson@joongang.co.kr]