SpaceSalt take off: How clean meat revolution is aiding food for astronauts
A cell culture medium used to produce clean meat has another application – a salt seasoning that is set to be used in space missions.
This is according to Japanese clean meat firm Integriculture, which has partnered with the Space Food X initiative, a programme in Japan to solve the challenges of food production and preservation in space.
Their product is aptly named SpaceSalt.
Professor Yuki Hanyu, founder and CEO of Integriculture told FoodNavigator-Asia, “SpaceSalt is one of the materials used for cell-based meat. It contains mainly salt, amino acid, vitamins, sugar and minerals.
Japan’s food labelling standards: Around 20% of products not compliant with new regime
One-in-five food products in Japan are still not compliant with the country’s new food labelling standards, with time rapidly running out for manufacturers to make the changes.
The 10 new standards were enforced in April 2015 by the Consumers Affairs Agency in Japan for the labelling of processed foods and additives for consumers.
Food firms were encouraged to implement the changes as quickly as possible, with a final cut-off date of March 31, 2020. But Hiroyuki Kawai, CEO of Label Bank, a company specialising in food labelling regulations told FoodNavigator-Asia: “We estimate around 80% of total food products have followed the new food labelling standards.”
‘Stress-free’ investment: Coca-Cola Japan to enter local ‘relaxation drink’ market hemp-venture
Coca-Cola Japan has set its sights on the local ‘relaxation drink’ market with a recent investment in newly-established beverage company Endian and its unique hemp-containing drink Chill Out.
Chill Out was originally developed by Japanese beauty technology company I-ne, but Endian will be taking over the product as an independent company during the upcoming fall season in Japan, backed by both Coca-Cola Japan and I-ne.
“This [initiative] is purely focused on the Japanese market.” a Coca-Cola Japan spokeswoman told FoodNavigator-Asia.
Hygiene and flexibility: China’s food safety concerns open doors for Japan’s Shikoku Kakoki
Food hygiene and safety concerns in China have prompted equipment firm Shikoku Kakori to launch a new carton-filling machine for the market, which includes automatic-cleaning and decontamination functions.
Shikoku Kakoki is a Japanese firm with a focus on manufacturing packaging and filling equipment for dairy and juices in its Shanghai-based China division, Shanghai Shikoku Food Packaging Machinery.
“Our latest launch in China is the SKS-F07 carton-filling machine. The major advantage [we have developed for] this machine is the ability to wash everything automatically, [so as to] maintain a high hygiene level,” Shikoku Kakoki General Manager, Business Planning & Promotion Office Hiroyuki Tanaka told FoodNavigator-Asia.
Sustainability claims key to market capture and premium pricing in Japan – Exclusive insights
Sustainability claims carry hefty weight within the Japanese market and are an important consideration for food and beverage companies looking to increase market share or impose premium pricing, according to analysis from insights provider Lumina Intelligence.
Lumina Intelligence is an insights service operated by William Reed, the publisher of FoodNavigator-Asia.
In its recent report on sustainability, which was conducted across 20 countries worldwide, the report revealed that sustainability claims has a profound effect on product retail in the Japanese market.
“Japanese consumer value brands with sustainable claims more than most,” Oliver Nieburg, market analyst for Lumina Intelligence Sustainability and co-author of the report told FoodNavigator-Asia.
