2 days ago
Japanese Cattle Rancher in Hokkaido Commercializes Frozen Milk, Plans to Export to Other Asian Countries
The Yomiuri Shimbun
Toshifumi Suzuki of Suzuki Farm shows bottles of frozen milk in Hiroo, Hokkaido, in April.
A cattle ranch has commercialized 'frozen milk' in Hokkaido, the kingdom of Japan's dairy products, and is expanding its sales channels.
Though freezing milk typically makes for an unpleasant taste once thawed, making use of flash-freezing technology has been a game-changer.
Freshness and flavor are not lost even after thawing, and the expiration date can be extended to about half a year compared to the one to two weeks when refrigerated.
The cattle ranch plans to export the product to other Asian countries.
'Trustworthiness and branding power of 'made in Hokkaido' products are great. I believe there is demand from high-income consumers,' said Toshifumi Suzuki, 43, who keeps about 90 dairy cows in Hiroo, Hokkaido. The town is in the Tokachi area, where dairy farms are prosperous.
Suzuki Farm, where he works, was established by his great-grandfather. When he began working there, the cows were fed enriched feeds made mainly with corn and artificial supplements. However, the cows repeatedly contracted infectious diseases.
In 2010, he changed the ranch's feeding, believing the cows would be healthier if they were raised in an environment closer to nature. Once switching exclusively to organic grass, the cows became ill less often and the taste of their milk improved drastically.
In summer last year, he was hit with the idea of commercializing frozen milk upon learning about machines that freeze meat and fish extremely quickly to preserve freshness.
The machines are developed by Technican Co., a Yokohama-based freezer manufacturer.
The process involves immersing food containers in a liquid at minus 30 C, freezing it instantly without causing cell breakdown. Surely, Suzuki thought, the same process serving to preserve the freshness of food could be applied to milk?
Usually, thawing milk causes proteins and fats to separate, giving it a rough texture. Therefore, the Tokyo-based Japan Dairy Industry Association does not recommend freezing milk.
However, when Suzuki experimented using the quick-freezing method, it was confirmed that freshness and flavor were not lost even after thawing.
After an evaluation by a third-party inspection body, Suzuki began selling frozen milk with a six-month expiration period in summer last year. A 180-milliliter bottle of the frozen milk is priced at ¥700, including tax.
As it can be enjoyed without worrying about best-by dates, the milk is popular as a thank-you gift under the furusato nozei hometown tax donation system, in which people donate money to local governments of their choice in return for income tax deductions.
Also, since it is unlikely that leftover milk will need to be disposed, some customers buy the frozen milk for dairy product events.
Suzuki Farm plans to begin exporting to Singapore and Thailand in autumn.
'I want people all over the world to know the true taste of milk beyond the barrier of best-by dates,' Suzuki said.
Another cattle ranch in the area sells flash-frozen milk from cows raised exclusively on pasture grass, of which a 180-milliliter bottle is priced at ¥540, including tax.
Miyaji Bokujo ranch in Shimizu, Hokkaido, has shipped its frozen milk to a milk shop in New Chitose Airport and a Fukuoka supermarket.
