Category Archives: Food & Agriculture

  The government disclosed a draft of its plan to revitalize agriculture on Monday, December 2, reiterating its determination to double farmers’ income in the next 10 years. The draft of the agricultural policy plan, submitted to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s headquarters for agricultural revitalization, comprises four major pillars – expanding demand for agricultural products, strengthening functions to link supply and demand, maintaining the agricultural industry’s multifunctional role including tourism and invigorating farmers. The government is scheduled to formally announce the plan around Tuesday, December 10, after making some adjustments, and based on the plan, it will work on revising the basic plan for food, agriculture and rural areas, … Continue reading →

  Chikako Sakamoto As part of its efforts to provide food products fit for people with health problems, Mie Prefecture Agricultural Research Institute has developed low-phosphorus rice and vegetables for dialysis patients who need to restrain phosphorus intake. The institute is working jointly with two hospitals, a vegetable processing firm and a rice milling firm to evaluate the effects of eating food products with reduced phosphorus content. Phosphorus which is found in almost every food, is an essential nutrient needed for proper cell functioning, regulation of calcium, strong bones and teeth. But consuming too much of it weakens bones and increases risk of heart attack. Dialysis patients with chronic kidney … Continue reading →

Amid increasing popularity of yogurt as a healthy food, publisher Nitto Shoin Honsha Co. has put on sale a recipe book for cooking with yogurt. The book, written by registered dietitian Mamiko Asano with support from Morinaga Milk Industry Co., introduces 65 recipes which use Morinaga bifidus plain yogurt BB536 in preparation or finishing stages. The book is intended to broaden the range of yogurt cooking and further expand consumption of yogurt. Sales of yogurt grew largely in 2012 as its health and beauty benefits, including its effect to activate the immune system, attracted attention of consumers, and the growth is continuing this year. Morinaga began a one-spoon project to … Continue reading →

  The National Federation of Agricultural Co-operative Associations (JA Zen-noh), which handles marketing and supply of agricultural products, announced Tuesday, November 19, that it will start marketing its own brand of processed foods in supermarkets, consumers’ cooperatives and convenience stores nationwide. JA Zen-noh showed the same day 65 items of processed food to be put on sale under the Zen-noh brand this year, including ham, bacon, jaozi dumplings and rice cakes. The federation plans to introduce 100 items every year in the three years until fiscal 2015. It set a target of selling JPY 1 billion of Zen-noh brand products this fiscal year, JPY 4 billion in fiscal 2014 and … Continue reading →