Latest news with #MitsukoTsuchiya
Japan Forward
26-06-2025
- Business
- Japan Forward
AEON's New 'Chocolate' Snack Contains Zero Cacao
このページを 日本語 で読む AEON has launched a new snack made to taste like chocolate, without using any cacao. As cacao prices soar due to poor harvests in West Africa, alternative chocolate products made from ingredients like peas and burdock root are gaining traction. On June 10, AEON released "Choco ka? WITH BISCUIT," a chocolate-like snack made from fermented and roasted sunflower seeds. The production process mimics that of cacao, resulting in a smooth texture and flavor similar to real chocolate. The product includes about 12 pieces. Each is paired with a biscuit made from oats and grains. It sells for ¥398 JPY (about $3 USD, excluding tax) and is available at 2,200 stores nationwide, including AEON and MaxValu locations. "This is next-generation chocolate — surprisingly authentic in taste and sustainable, too," said Mitsuko Tsuchiya, president of AEON TOPVALU, based in Chiba City. AEON plans to expand both the product line and its distribution in the future. AEON isn't the only company seeking cacao alternatives. In March, food manufacturer Fuji Oil launched "Anoza M," a chocolate alternative for industrial use. It is made from peas, carob, and chocolate-grade fats and oils. Carob, a legume native to the Mediterranean, is smoked and ground into powder. This produces a smooth texture that rivals traditional chocolate. "Anoza M" by Fuji Oil. (Provided by the company) Though still not widely known in Japan, carob is being used in baked goods and Western-style confections. It also costs less than cacao, making it an attractive alternative in terms of both taste and cost. Since launching, Fuji Oil has seen growing interest and sample requests from confectionery businesses. Meanwhile, Hiroshima-based Ajikan, a company specializing in commercial-use foods, developed MELBURD — a chocolate-like product made from roasted burdock root. In August 2024, Ajikan began selling a snack called GOVOCE, which features this burdock-based chocolate, through its online store. It became available at select Natural Lawson convenience stores in November. The rise of alternative chocolate is driven largely by the cacao crisis. Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana — together responsible for two-thirds of global cacao production — saw severe harvest declines in 2023 due to extreme weather and plant diseases. As a result, cacao prices in New York's futures market soared past a record-high $11,000 per ton earlier this year. Although prices have eased slightly, they remain between $8,000 and $9,000 per ton. That's nearly triple what they were two years ago. Despite some alternative ingredients like sunflower seeds currently being more expensive than cacao, Tsuchiya noted, "Cacao prices are expected to stay high. By autumn, traditional chocolate could cost as much as these alternatives." As cacao shortages persist and prices remain high, interest in chocolate alternatives continues to grow. ( Read the article in Japanese . ) Author: Suguru Kojima, The Sankei Shimbun このページを 日本語 で読む
Kyodo News
24-05-2025
- Business
- Kyodo News
Supermarkets offering foreign-grown rice as Japan faces record prices
KYODO NEWS - 43 minutes ago - 12:19 | All, Japan Japan's supermarket operators have been strengthening sales of cheaper, foreign-grown rice, offering another choice to consumers hit by rising prices and concerns about shortages of the country's staple food. Aeon Co. will start selling California-sourced rice on June 6 at its stores, mainly in urban areas, at 2,894 yen ($20) for 4 kilograms. Converted to the more common Japanese sales unit of 5 kilograms, it is 3,618 yen, some 15 percent cheaper than the average price calculated by the farm ministry of Japanese-grown rice at supermarkets nationwide in early May. The company already launched a blend of U.S.- and domestically-grown rice in April. Rival food retailers Ito-Yokado Co. and Seiyu Co. have also sold rice from California and Taiwan, respectively, and seen solid demand. Aeon said the decision to sell California's Calrose rice reflects consumer interest, saying they can no longer purchase rice as before due to higher prices. "The price (of the new product) is affordable. By offering customers the freedom of choice, we hope that overall rice consumption will increase," Aeon Executive Vice President Mitsuko Tsuchiya told a recent press conference. Japan imports rice either through the government, which is obliged to purchase a certain amount from other countries under World Trade Organization arrangements, or private companies, which pay a tariff to the government. Aeon plans to acquire the rice via private import and sell some 14,000 tons over a three-month period. Less sticky and with a more neutral taste than Japanese rice, the medium Calrose variety grown in California is suited for use in risottos, pilaf, stews and soup, Aeon said. U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass called the sale of the U.S.-grown rice by Aeon "historic" for American farmers, given Japan is a "country that takes its rice very seriously, and it's probably the most discerning consumer when it comes to food quality." "Aeon has certainly gone big in its commitment to American rice and American farmers, and at a time when food prices are a concern for all Japanese, this launch couldn't come at a better time for consumers," Glass said. The average price of rice sold at Japanese supermarkets from May 5 to May 11 was a record 4,268 yen per 5 kg, up from 4,214 yen between late April and early May, when it dropped for the first time in 18 weeks. The level remains around two times higher than the previous year, partly due to a poor harvest in the summer of 2023. Related coverage: New farm minister eyes 2,000 yen per 5 kg retail price for gov't rice Japan inflation accelerates in April on reduced energy subsidies FOCUS: Free rice gaffe sends Ishiba into pre-election damage control mode
Kyodo News
24-05-2025
- Business
- Kyodo News
Supermarkets offering foreign-grown rice as Japan faces record prices
KYODO NEWS - 1 minute ago - 12:19 | All, Japan Japan's supermarket operators have been strengthening sales of cheaper, foreign-grown rice, offering another choice to consumers hit by rising prices and concerns about shortages of the country's staple food. Aeon Co. will start selling California-sourced rice on June 6 at its stores, mainly in urban areas, at 2,894 yen ($20) for 4 kilograms. Converted to the more common Japanese sales unit of 5 kilograms, it is 3,618 yen, some 15 percent cheaper than the average price calculated by the farm ministry of Japanese-grown rice at supermarkets nationwide in early May. The company already launched a blend of U.S.- and domestically-grown rice in April. Rival food retailers Ito-Yokado Co. and Seiyu Co. have also sold rice from California and Taiwan, respectively, and seen solid demand. Aeon said the decision to sell California's Calrose rice reflects consumer interest, saying they can no longer purchase rice as before due to higher prices. "The price (of the new product) is affordable. By offering customers the freedom of choice, we hope that overall rice consumption will increase," Aeon Executive Vice President Mitsuko Tsuchiya told a recent press conference. Japan imports rice either through the government, which is obliged to purchase a certain amount from other countries under World Trade Organization arrangements, or private companies, which pay a tariff to the government. Aeon plans to acquire the rice via private import and sell some 14,000 tons over a three-month period. Less sticky and with a more neutral taste than Japanese rice, the medium Calrose variety grown in California is suited for use in risottos, pilaf, stews and soup, Aeon said. U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass called the sale of the U.S.-grown rice by Aeon "historic" for American farmers, given Japan is a "country that takes its rice very seriously, and it's probably the most discerning consumer when it comes to food quality." "Aeon has certainly gone big in its commitment to American rice and American farmers, and at a time when food prices are a concern for all Japanese, this launch couldn't come at a better time for consumers," Glass said. The average price of rice sold at Japanese supermarkets from May 5 to May 11 was a record 4,268 yen per 5 kg, up from 4,214 yen between late April and early May, when it dropped for the first time in 18 weeks. The level remains around two times higher than the previous year, partly due to a poor harvest in the summer of 2023. Related coverage: New farm minister eyes 2,000 yen per 5 kg retail price for gov't rice Japan inflation accelerates in April on reduced energy subsidies FOCUS: Free rice gaffe sends Ishiba into pre-election damage control mode
Straits Times
24-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Supermarkets offering foreign-grown rice as Japan faces record prices
Mr Arata Hirano, owner of the restaurant Shokudou Arata, pours California-grown Calrose rice into a rice cooker to cook rice at his restaurant in Tokyo. PHOTO: REUTERS TOKYO - Japan's supermarket operators have been strengthening sales of cheaper, foreign-grown rice, offering another choice to consumers hit by rising prices and concerns about shortages of the country's staple food. Aeon will start selling California-sourced rice on June 6 at its stores, mainly in urban areas, at 2,894 yen ( S$26) for 4kg. Converted to the more common Japanese sales unit of 5kg, it is 3,618 yen, some 15 per cent cheaper than the average price calculated by the farm ministry of Japanese-grown rice at supermarkets nationwide in early May. The company already launched a blend of US and domestically-grown rice in April. Rival food retailers Ito-Yokado and Seiyu have also sold rice from California and Taiwan, respectively, and seen solid demand. Aeon said the decision to sell California's Calrose rice reflects consumer interest, saying they can no longer purchase rice as before due to higher prices. 'The price (of the new product) is affordable. By offering customers the freedom of choice, we hope that overall rice consumption will increase,' Aeon Executive Vice-President Mitsuko Tsuchiya said at a recent press conference. Japan imports rice either through the government, which is obliged to purchase a certain amount from other countries under World Trade Organisation arrangements, or private companies, which pay a tariff to the government. Aeon plans to acquire the rice via private import and sell some 14,000 tons over a three-month period. Less sticky and with a more neutral taste than Japanese rice, the medium Calrose variety grown in California is suited for use in risottos, pilaf, stews and soup, Aeon said. US Ambassador to Japan George Glass called the sale of the US-grown rice by Aeon 'historic' for American farmers, given Japan is a 'country that takes its rice very seriously, and it's probably the most discerning consumer when it comes to food quality'. 'Aeon has certainly gone big in its commitment to American rice and American farmers, and at a time when food prices are a concern for all Japanese, this launch couldn't come at a better time for consumers,' Mr Glass said. KYODO NEWS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Mainichi
24-05-2025
- Business
- The Mainichi
Supermarkets offering foreign-grown rice as Japan faces record prices
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's supermarket operators have been strengthening sales of cheaper, foreign-grown rice, offering another choice to consumers hit by rising prices and concerns about shortages of the country's staple food. Aeon Co. will start selling California-sourced rice on June 6 at its stores, mainly in urban areas, at 2,894 yen ($20) for 4 kilograms. Converted to the more common Japanese sales unit of 5 kilograms, it is 3,618 yen, some 15 percent cheaper than the average price calculated by the farm ministry of Japanese-grown rice at supermarkets nationwide in early May. The company already launched a blend of U.S.- and domestically-grown rice in April. Rival food retailers Ito-Yokado Co. and Seiyu Co. have also sold rice from California and Taiwan, respectively, and seen solid demand. Aeon said the decision to sell California's Calrose rice reflects consumer interest, saying they can no longer purchase rice as before due to higher prices. "The price (of the new product) is affordable. By offering customers the freedom of choice, we hope that overall rice consumption will increase," Aeon Executive Vice President Mitsuko Tsuchiya told a recent press conference. Japan imports rice either through the government, which is obliged to purchase a certain amount from other countries under World Trade Organization arrangements, or private companies, which pay a tariff to the government. Aeon plans to acquire the rice via private import and sell some 14,000 tons over a three-month period. Less sticky and with a more neutral taste than Japanese rice, the medium Calrose variety grown in California is suited for use in risottos, pilaf, stews and soup, Aeon said. U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass called the sale of the U.S.-grown rice by Aeon "historic" for American farmers, given Japan is a "country that takes its rice very seriously, and it's probably the most discerning consumer when it comes to food quality." "Aeon has certainly gone big in its commitment to American rice and American farmers, and at a time when food prices are a concern for all Japanese, this launch couldn't come at a better time for consumers," Glass said. The average price of rice sold at Japanese supermarkets from May 5 to May 11 was a record 4,268 yen per 5 kg, up from 4,214 yen between late April and early May, when it dropped for the first time in 18 weeks. The level remains around two times higher than the previous year, partly due to a poor harvest in the summer of 2023.
