The latest niche market
to emerge in Japan is foods for the elderly – a natural development because 37%
of the population is aged over 50, while only 21% is under 20 years old. This
has to be a growing market, together with functional foods and drinks that concentrate
on helping to prevent the diseases associated with aging.
Foods for the Elderly
Q P Corp has launched a variety of foods particularly for people who have difficulty
swallowing. Just mix and allow to stand for 5 minutes until a jelly state is
reached. It is not necessary to refrigerate the mix as it sets at a high temperature.
Add it to miso soup or western soup to produce a jelly. Contains odorless
and flavorless pectin, produces a smooth jelly, easy to swallow. Fortified with
150mg calcium (one quarter of the daily requirement) and 1.3g dietary fiber.
This product is packed in the handy DispenS pack – two compartments sealed with
a single film lid. The consumer bends the pack in two, rupturing the film and
expelling the contents without soiling the hands or clothes. 10 x 33g Y700.
Sales route – general food routes and drugs stores. Foods for the elderly must
be easy to prepare, which is what this product aims to achieve.
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Baby Foods
At the other end of the age range, Q P Corp. has also launched a series of snack
for babies from one year old. These snacks compensate for the calcium and iron
deficiency in the diet. One 12g sachet supplies 0.7mg iron and 50mg calcium,
this is 1/10 of the daily requirement of calcium and iron for a child aged 1-2
years. 3 x 12g sachets per bag Y150, 24 per case.
Microwavable Cake Mix
Nippon Flour Mills has developed cake mix in two varieties – chocolate flavor,
strawberry flavor to be heated in the microwave oven for 1.5 minutes to obtain
cakes in the shape of the popular Kitty-chan kitten character. These
moist steamed cakes are light and fluffy. 55g box Y130, 24 per case. The kitten
character appeals both to children and young women.
A Chocolate Called Muc
Lotte should have consulted someone before naming their new chocolate snack
Muc. These are individual chocolates coated with a light and fluffy mousse chocolate
and with a center containing crunchy cashew nuts, choc chips and cookie chips.
Aimed at girls and women in their 20s. The unfortunate name probably comes from
a combination of the words mousse and chocolate. Y150 per box, 60 per case.
Snack Foods
Procter and Gamble Far East chose well with the name of Pringles Funky Soy
Sauce. A new variety in this series of preformed potato chips. A great combination
of American potato chips and Japanese soy sauce. 184g medium paper can and 50g
small paper can, open price. Pringles were first launched in Japan in
1994. Their unique crisp and crunchy texture and flavor is different from conventional
potato chips and their pop image has made them popular with teenagers.
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Ice filled into a Crepe
Lotte’s La Crepe is a lactic ice (a type of ice cream with only 3% minimum milk
solids) filled into a French type crepe casing to produce a French style ice
dessert. The crepe is filled with two layers of lactic ice (vanilla, chocolate)
plus chocolate sauce. 90ml pillow pack Y100, 20 per case. There is also a multipack
assortment containing this vanilla and chocolate filled crepe and crepes filled
with custard flavor lactic ice. 6 x 70ml Y500, 6 per case.
Dairy Desserts – Chestnut
and Pumpkin
Roast sweet chestnuts are a popular snack in Japan this time of year so Takanashi
Nyugyo has launched a milk custard dessert made with fresh cream and eggs and
containing two popular autumn ingredients – chestnuts and pumpkin, both produced
in Hokkaido. The pumpkin ingredient adds a cake-like consistency. No stabilizers
used. 130g cup Y120, 20 per case, refrigerated shelf-life 10 days at below 10
C.
Vegetable Jams
Q P Corp has developed tomato and apple jam and carrot and navel orange jam
because people know that they should eat more vegetables but they prefer fruit.
These jams make vegetables more palatable. Both jams have a 40% sugar content.
160g glass jar Y220, 24 per case.
Long Life Cup Noodles
– a Better Quality Product
LL (long life) cup noodles boiled noodles in a retort pouch in place of dried
instant noodles, they have a shelf-life of several months at ambient temperature
and taste better than the usual dried instant noodles. The new product from
Sugakiya Shokuhin contains wheat noodles in soup with prices of fried tofu.
It contains an authentic regional recipe noodle sauce made with dried, smoke-cured
bonito, shiitake mushrooms and kombu kelp. The garnish ingredients include 2
sheets of light and crisp fried tofu made from non-GM soybeans packed in a retort
pouch. The noodles are made entirely from wheat flour grown in Hokkaido. 270g
(200g noodles) Y200 (high price for larger volume), 24 per case. This type of
product is much better quality than the cheaper varieties.
Frozen Ready Meals in
Divided Portions
Ajinomoto is not only the most famous brand of monosodium glutamate, this company
is also a leader in frozen ready meals, a massive market in Japan. Ajinomoto
has developed a series of frozen ready meals in small single servings packed
in cups, just right for adding to a packed lunch. Designed to be heated in the
microwave oven, they are very convenient. New variety chicken and burdock salad.
It contains chicken, burdock and carrots topped with ground sesame and mayonnaise.
4 cups (120g in total) in a pillow pack.
Retort Packaged Ready
Meals Save Time
House Foods Rice de Gratin is a series of retort packaged sauces to produce
a simple snack or evening meal, ideal for children, holiday brunch or any light
meal for a single person. The rice is placed in a dish, the gratin sauce poured
over it and then baked in an oven toaster for 6 -7 minutes. The chicken and
sweet corn in cream sauce is made with cheese and fresh cream to produce a creamy
sauce containing large chicken pieces, sweet corn, onions and carrots. The beef
and mushrooms in beef sauce is a rich demi glace sauce made with milk products
containing large pieces of beef, mushrooms, carrots and sweet corn. Both 160g
Y200, 60 per case.
