TOKYO, Feb. 27 — Japan’s soymilk output has shown a clear upward path, marking its ninth consecutive year of growth, boosted by a rise in health-conscious lifestyles and increasing consumer awareness on lactose intolerance.
Japanese soy milk production rose 8.1% to a record 339,281 kiloliters in 2017 from a year earlier, according to the Japan Soymilk Association.
“There is rising health consciousness among consumers and an increasing number of people drink soymilk regularly,” an official from the soymilk association said.
“Soymilk is also widely used as an ingredient for cooking at home and restaurants,” he added.
Advanced manufacturing technology has allowed food-makers to reduce the grassy aroma of soybeans in soymilk and produce a variety of soymilk-based products, the official explained.
The association now has a target of 500,000 kiloliters of production by 2020. “We will target the young generation for gains,” the official said.