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Creating new value in food and health​

Basic Philosophy

In July 2023, the Nichirei Group pivoted from its former ideal of creating new value in food and health to the new ideal of discovering the potential of materials and cooling power to contribute to the future of the Earth and people’s mental and physical health through food. We then reviewed Group measures and KPIs accordingly.
Committed to health, we will contribute to wellness by enhancing the development of nutritionally responsible products while supporting mental health, which encompasses emotional and social health. We are also working for the future of the global environment by minimizing negative impacts and deploying cutting-edge technology and conserving resources in stepping up initiatives with positive impacts.

Nicihrei Corporation, Strategic Planning, Nichirei Corporation, Quality Assurance Division, Nichirei Corporation, Technology Management, Nichirei Corporation, Corporate Internal Audit, Nichirei Corporation, Corporate Supervise, Nichirei Corporation, Legal Affairs, Nichirei Corporation, Human Resources Strategy & General Affairs, Nichirei Corporation, Finance & Investor Relations, Nichirei Corporation, Accounting & Tax, Nichirei Corporation, Group Communication, Nichirei Foods Inc., Nichirei Fresh Inc., Nichirei Logistics Group Inc., Nichirei Biosciences Inc., Hitachi Foods & Logistics Systems,Inc., NIchirei Bisiness Partners .inc

Initiatives

Creating a Mechanism for New Value Creation Unique to Nichirei

Nichirei Acceleration Program MinoruN is a mechanism launched in 2020 to sustainably create new value and future businesses by inviting employees to take on the challenge of starting a new business. This initiative solicits, selects and commercializes entrepreneurial ideas from all employees. It also includes skills development programs and ideation workshops that provide knowledge and methodologies for identifying customer needs required to structure a business model, which enables employees to propose new business ideas even if they have no prior entrepreneurial experience.

Nichirei Acceleration Program MinoruN

We solicit ideas once a year, and those that pass the initial review undergo three stages of verification with the aim of commercialization. In Phase 1, we conduct in-depth interviews with prospective customers to confirm customer value. In Phase 2, we create prototypes, confirm product and service feasibility, and verify the ability of those products and services to resolve customer issues. In Phase 3, we conduct test sales on a small scale to verify demand. Even if verification results are not as projected, participants can cycle back to the preceding phase to redo the verification process. This shortens and accelerates the entrepreneurial cycle, helping to increase the probability of commercialization. The program has not yet commercialized any projects, but it has developed participants’ ability to promote new value.

New Businesses Created through MinoruN

Development of Miraikura

One of the projects selected in 2021 and currently undergoing verification of demand is Miraikura (“Future Roe”), a food that resembles fish roe. Recent changes in the global environment are impacting the procurement of natural resources of roe, such as salmon roe and sujiko, raising risks to stable, sustainable procurement. The idea for the project was primarily the brainchild of members of the Marine Products Division of Nichirei Fresh Inc. We are developing products with the support of our technical department, which has knowledge of the physical properties of food, and Fresh Maruichi Corporation, which has production technology for processing fish roe.
Phase 1 customer value verification indicated that because Miraikura is cholesterol- and allergen-free, even people with health concerns and people with fish egg allergies can eat the product on a daily basis. Additionally, it appears to be suitable for vegan diets because it does not contain animal ingredients. We will proceed with verification so that we can deliver this new sustainable, healthy food option to dining tables in Japan, North America and elsewhere around the world in the near future.

  • Miraikura Miraikura
  • In recognition of this entrepreneurial effort in a new field, Miraikura received the President’s Award in Nichirei Fresh’s internal Nichirei Fresh Awards for Linking Sea, Land and People. In recognition of this entrepreneurial effort in a new field, Miraikura received the President’s Award in Nichirei Fresh’s internal Nichirei Fresh Awards for Linking Sea, Land and People.
  • We showcased Miraikura at Global Foodtech Summit SKS JAPAN 2023, garnering a high level of interest from domestic and international foodtech professionals. Image courtesy of SKS JAPAN We showcased Miraikura at Global Foodtech Summit SKS JAPAN 2023, garnering a high level of interest from domestic and international foodtech professionals.
    Image courtesy of SKS JAPAN

New Business Models for Health and Sustainable Foods

A Data Service Business Based on Food Preference Analysis:
me:new Automatic Menu Generator App

Due to factors including changes in work styles, advances made by women in the workplace and the development of a super-aging society, the need to reduce meal preparation time at home is growing among Japanese consumers. Likewise, needs are rising for meals that take health factors into account, such as nutritional balance and food allergies. Many consumers are finding it difficult to plan daily menus because of these issues. To help resolve them, in August 2021 Nichirei entered the AI-based menu proposal service business by acquiring all the shares of me:new, a startup that operates an automatic menu generator app of the same name, and created a new business by integrating me:new’s services with the conomeal kitchen app and services Nichirei developed in-house. The me:new app creates up to a week’s worth of menus. Mainly geared toward families with young children, it suggests recipes that parents and children can eat together, as well as allergy-friendly recipes. Needs for such services are rising in the BtoB as well as the BtoC market. Going forward, we will work to provide new value in the form of a data service business based on our research into food preferences and deliciousness.

me:new(ミーニュー)

New Brand Statement
“Toward a world of sharing deliciousness and health—FoodJoy Equity”

Nichirei Foods has articulated a new brand statement. It incorporates the essence of our aim to achieve a better world of sharing by providing health value with an emphasis on deliciousness and making full use of the benefits of freezing in areas such as shelf life that helps to reduce food loss. “FoodJoy” refers to the delight that frozen foods bring, while “Equity” means fairness for all from offering value tailored to each individual—or in other words, sharing.
Moreover, to make the statement a reality, we are pursuing business activities that increase four kinds of value for sharing. By doing so, we will evolve the business so that not only consumers, but everyone we interact with and society as a whole, can enjoy the convenience of freezing.

  • Four Kinds of Value for Sharing Going Forward
Promoting the Business of Meat Products with Health Value

Nichirei Fresh conducts research and development of meat products with enhanced health value. By giving chickens, pigs and cattle* a formula feed with the ingredient flaxseed, which contains the nutrient -linolenic acid, the company has developed tender and juicy meat abundant in this nutrient. This meat is sold as the Amani-no-Megumi series.
In addition, Nichirei Fresh has begun full-scale sales of Gomanten, a new meat product with health value containing sesamin, a functional ingredient derived from sesame that is not normally found in meat. This is the result of adding sesame to pig feed.
Nichirei Fresh will continue to support health management and balanced diets through meat products for everyday meals.

*There are individual differences among cattle.

  • Amani no Megumi® Photo Flax flowers and seeds
  • Comparison of Amount of Omega-3 Fatty Acid (α-linolenic Acid) That the Body Can Absorb from 100 Grams of Meat

    Gomanten

Platform -Initiatives for Nutrition-

We will step up our initiatives for nutrition to help resolve the health problem of the double threat of concurrent overnutrition and undernutrition. Initiatives will include participation in the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s Strategic Initiative for a Healthy and Sustainable Food Environment with the aim of being able to set targets that ensure intake in recommended amounts while avoiding excessive intake of substances of concern.

Meat Analogue Containing No Animal Meat: Daiz Meat

Nichirei Foods is developing meat analogue products as a new undertaking in frozen foods that will contribute to a more sustainable society. We reproduce the flavor and characteristics of meat without using animal meat by combining various kinds of soy meat, including that from germinated soybeans grown using the proprietary technology of DAIZ, which is engaged in advanced research on soybeans. Moreover, through the application of our know-how and technology for reproducing delicious flavors, we have developed products that are both healthy and tasty.

Possibilities of New Effects of Acerola

In research into the body’s high rate of absorption of vitamin C from acerola, Nichirei Foods analyzed the effects of acerola powder and acerola juice on gut microbiota. Our analysis showed that when human gut microbiota were supplied with acerola powder or acerola juice, there was an increase not only in beneficial enteric bacteria such as Lactobacillus bifidus but also metabolites such as acetic acid and butyric acid, which are known to be good for the body. We will delve deeper into these results and conduct even more sophisticated research. With this, we expect to be able to further clarify mechanisms and utilize the results in new research and development and product development. Food enriches people’s lives and by approaching food from a scientific perspective, we aim to realize a healthier society.

Companion Diagnostics Provision of diagnostics for personalized cancer treatments

In 2014, Nichirei Biosciences became the first Japanese company to manufacture and sell “companion diagnostics”, which are used to select treatments and drugs eligible for each patient with cancer in terms of their physical condition and pathology.
Furthermore, immune system-related technologies that we have developed so far are contributing to the advancement of personalized medicine that enables the selection of treatments and drugs that are highly effective and have few side effects.

  • Histofine ALK iAEP® Kit
Specialized Diagnostic Agent for a Genetic Testing Device Receives Regulatory Approval as a Companion Diagnostic Agent for Colorectal Cancer

Nichirei Biosciences is promoting the uptake in Japan of a specialized diagnostic agent for a genetic testing device developed by its partner Biocartis Group NV. In 2022 and 2023, we obtained approval to manufacture and sell two in-vitro diagnostics that use this specialized agent as companion diagnostic agents for molecular targeted therapies for colorectal cancer. This groundbreaking technology allows the medical institution where a patient is examined to conduct genetic testing for cancer, which was largely outsourced in the past. By shortening turnaround time on test results, we will provide new value in cancer treatment.

  • Specialized Diagnostic Agent for a Genetic Testing Device Receives Regulatory Approval as a Companion Diagnostic Agent for Colorectal Cancer

Development of New Technologies

Launch of Single-serving Noodles Using Original Technology That Keeps Noodles Cold When Prepared in a Microwave

In March 2022, Nichirei Foods launched Hiyashi-Chuka (chilled Chinese noodles), a household-use frozen food product it developed as the first in a series of single-serving noodle products that can be prepared in a microwave. A microwave oven heats food by causing the water molecules in food to vibrate. The bonded hydrogen molecules in ice are less affected by microwaves, so they are harder to melt, while the molecules of the frozen noodles are further apart, making them easier to warm. We put these different characteristics of each food product to use in developing an original technology* for producing chilled noodles that remain cold even after they have been prepared in a microwave. This product took about five years to bring to market from the initial concept, with about three of those years for commercialization. With our many years of research into frozen foods, we take pride in the concept behind this unique product, which is the first in the industry to utilize the characteristics of ice in a microwave.

  • *Patent pending

In fall 2022, we will launch the second product in this series, Gokubuto-Tsukemen (chilled thick Chinese noodles served with a dipping sauce). This product also applies our original technology that uses ice to keep the noodles cold while enabling the broth to warm. It features homemade-style extra-thick noodles made with whole wheat flour and a rich broth with a seafood and pork flavor.
The development of these products was driven by the move toward lifestyles that rely on cooking and eating outside the home, as well as an increase in single-person households that has in turn increased demand for personal-use, single-serving meals containing a staple food and a main dish, as well as snacks that can be eaten with one hand. In response to this situation, Nichirei Foods’ Yamagata Plant in Tendo City, Yamagata Prefecture invested approximately ¥4 billion in a production line for personal-use, single-serving frozen foods. It began operating in February 2022. This will help us meet personal-use product demand, which is expected to grow, and capture stay-at-home consumption.

Nicihrei Corporation, Strategic Planning, Nichirei Corporation, Quality Assurance Division, Nichirei Corporation, Technology Management, Nichirei Corporation, Corporate Internal Audit, Nichirei Corporation, Corporate Supervise, Nichirei Corporation, Legal Affairs, Nichirei Corporation, Human Resources Strategy & General Affairs, Nichirei Corporation, Finance & Investor Relations, Nichirei Corporation, Accounting & Tax, Nichirei Corporation, Group Communication, Nichirei Foods Inc., Nichirei Fresh Inc., Nichirei Logistics Group Inc., Nichirei Biosciences Inc., Hitachi Foods & Logistics Systems,Inc., NIchirei Bisiness Partners .inc