Hokkaido Research Organization set up a task force named “Project Team for 100% Pure Made-in-Hokkaido,” in order to help local food manufacturers develop food products made exclusively with ingredients produced in Hokkaido.
The first food product developed by the project team is “Dorayaki (a bean-jam pancake),” which is manufactured exclusively with ingredients produced in Hokkaido including main materials of wheat and adzuki beans, baking soda for making pancake dough rise, and agar used for sweet bean paste.
The Research Organization continues to develop “100% Pure Made-in-Hokkaido” food products. It plans to provide local food companies with technical assistance to manufacture ingredients required for those special products. Qualities of new food products to be developed by local firms will be evaluated by the Organization.
These activities of the Organization are expected to make a great contribution toward clearly demonstrating high quality of food products branded as “Made-in-Hokkaido” and expanding their marketing channels at home and abroad.
The Organization is the first institute in Japan that has worked on the development of food products manufactured totally with ingredients made in its prefecture. Other 46 prefectures have not yet started any program similar to the Hokkaido project.
(March 14, 2016)