A selection of new products launched recently in Japan
Ice cream
Lotte: Lady Borden Multi Bar, a multipack assortment of quality ice cream bars on sticks. The vanilla ice cream is made with Madagascar Bourbon vanilla. The almond choco ice cream is a vanilla ice cream center coated in almonds and chocolate. Two of each flavor per pack, vanilla 2 x 68.9ml plus almond choco 2 x 68ml, Y500, 6 per case.
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Lactic ice
Kanebo Foods: Kanebo Rennyu Iri Ichigo [strawberry with evaporated milk]. This lactic ice bar contains strawberry fruit pulp and is encased in a water ice shell coating containing milk. The tip of this ice bar contains evaporated milk. 120ml bar on a stick Y100, 20 per case. [Lactic ice is similar to non-dairy ice cream, minimum 3% milk solids, no minimum milk fat content.]
Sorbet
Kanebo Foods: Kanebo Zaguro [pomegranate]. This sorbet cup contains the now fashionable pomegranate. Total fruit juice content 30%. Pomegranate is popular as a healthy ingredient [no claims are made on this product but pomegranate is thought to protect against the side effects of the menopause]. 140ml cup Y100, 18 per case.
Jelly dessert
Hotei Foods: Hotei Tabegoro Kajitsu [fruit just ready to eat] series of jelly desserts in transparent plastics cups. Varieties include pomegranate in syrup with lemon juice, Japanese orange, pineapple, yellow peach, white peach. 200g plastics cup Y250, 24 per case.
Custard dessert
Mermaid: Mermaid Fruit on Purin – Orange [purin means custard dessert]. This two-layer parfait-style dessert is packed in a transparent plastics cups so the contents can be seen, very much in fashion at present. This dessert is a combination of a layer of smooth vanilla mousse custard that melts in the mouth and a layer of fruit jelly (orange jelly made with Japanese orange fruit pulp). 110ml cup Y130, 8 per case, general storage.
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By GlobalDataCakes
Lotte: Lotte Cream Cheese Bouchee. Semi-moist small sandwich cakes, light texture and plain flavor, filled with a cream cheese flavor center that melts in the mouth. The center has a less sweet taste. Aimed at housewives in their 30s and 40s. 6 cakes per box Y300, 20 per case, 11 cakes per bag Y500, 10 per case.
Cookies
Morinaga and Co.: Morinaga Chocolate Koeda Cookies and Cream [koeda means little sticks]. A new item in this series of crisp and crunchy pretzel sticks coated in chocolate. Crunchy bitter black cocoa cookie sticks are coated in white chocolate. This is a copy of the cookie and cream ice cream that is very popular with junior and senior high school students. The pack carries an illustration of this type of ice cream. 60g box, guide price Y150, 80/case.
Candy
Kanro: Calpis Aloe and Calpis Candy. This is the candy version of the soft drink from Calpis Co. This candy contains kidachi Aloe vera extract and has the tangy yogurt flavor of the lactic drink Calpis. Aloe contributes dietary fiber and vitamins B6 and B12. This is a healthy candy. 10candies per stick pack Y100, 120 per case, shelf-life 10 months, also in 80g bag Y180, 10 per case, shelf-life 12 months.
Snack foods
Tohato: Tohato Beano Vegetable Snack. A product relaunch of this snack food made entirely from beans. The dough has been kneaded by an improved process to ensure good crisp texture and delicious flavor. 80g bag, guide price Y130, 20 per case
Yamayoshi Seika: Yamayoshi Nori Cheese [nori is laver]. These preformed potato chips have the rich flavors of cheese and nori laver. Colorful and tasty potato chips. Aimed at people in their 20s and 30s. 52g bag Y110, 24 per case, general storage shelf-life 3 months.
Cup noodles
Nissin Food Prod: Nissin Meiten-jikomi Sapporo Sumire Miso [prepared by a famous restaurant, miso flavor by Sumire of Sapporo] and Nissin Meiten-jikomi Hakata Ippudo Akamarushinmi [prepared by a famous restaurant, Hakata of Ippudo]. These two new cup noodle products are a joint development between Nissin Food Products, Seven-Eleven Japan and the popular ramen restaurants Sumire in Sapporo and Ippudo in Hakata. This is the next stage in marketing following the launch of local style ramen and an attempt to recreate the flavor from specified famous restaurants. The noodles are the non-fried type. Sapporo Sumire Miso contains hand-made style square noodles. 152g (70g noodles). Hakata Ippudo Akamarushinmi contains fine type noodles. 132g (70g noodles). Both products Y250, 12 per case.
Sanyo Foods: Sapporo Ichiban Black Hot Kuro Curry [kuro means black]. A new cup noodle product in the Sapporo Ichiban Hot series for young people. The semi-fine type noodles are very smooth. The dark soup is finished with coarse ground black pepper and has the sweetness of fried onions. The garnish contains pork chips, onions and asparagus. 82g (55g noodles). A second new variety, Sapporo Ichiban Red Hot Chili Garlic, contains semi-fine egg noodles and red color hot soup based on beef extract and tomato with various spices. The garnish includes cabbage, onions, sweet corn, garlic and sliced chilli. 80g (55g noodles). Both products Y155, 24 per case.
Chilled noodle ready meals
Nissin Food Prod: Nissin SpaO Cream Sauce made with Milk [translation]. The SpaO brand was originally used on LL cup spaghetti [boiled spaghetti in a retort pouch in a cup with soup and garnish]. Nissin now uses it on chilled cooked spaghetti in cream sauce. The fresh pasta has been made by the Italian method of high-pressure extrusion combined with unique technology to produce good elasticity. The sauce is made with chicken, onions and clams cooked together in butter, plus white wine and olive oil. There is also a tomato and seafood variety. 340g pasta (2 servings) Y300, 6 per case, refrigerated shelf-life 30 days.
Frozen ready meals
Nippon Suisan: Nissui Hoshii Bundake [just as much as you want] series of frozen ready meals. New line added – prawns in chili sauce. Unique technology has been used to produce these prawn fritters in a hot and spicy chili sauce. Packed in a two-layer tray, after microwave cooking the white internal layer can be removed and the tray included in a packed lunch. 100 g (4 prawns) Y290, 20 per case.
Retort packaged ready meals
House Foods: House Gatsu to Kuru Umasa to Karasa-no Beef Curry [shockingly delicious and hot beef curry]. This retort packaged ready meal is designed for sale though convenience stores which presently have 15% of the retort packaged curry market and this share is increasing. The core target is men in their 20s and 30s. This beef curry contains large cubes of meat. The hot and spicy flavor is increased by the presence of coarse ground red pepper and the stimulating aroma of coarse ground black pepper, plus spicy vegetables and bouillon for a rich flavor. 210g Y250, 60 per case.
Soups
House Foods: House Yakiniku Ya-san Korean-style Grilled Beef Soup [grilled meat restaurant]. This retort pouch soup contains Korean-style grilled beef, bean sprouts, royal fern, carrots and other vegetables plus kochu-jang [Korean red pepper paste] for a hot and spicy flavor. 230g stand-up retort pouch Y200, 40/case.
Yogurt
Ohayo Nyugyo: Ohayo Oishiku Yasai Kajitsu Nomu Yogurt [delicious vegetable and fruit drinking yogurt]. This drinking yogurt contains 8% carrot juice, 4% red peppers juice and 3% spinach juice. This is blended with apple juice pulp plus lemon juice. Milk fat content 0.6%, non-fat milk solids content 8.0%, vegetable juice content 15%, fruit pulp and juice content 10%. 200ml paper cup with plastics cap Y120, 200ml paper brick carton Y100, refrigerated storage.
Kameda Seika: Kameda Vegetable Lactic Acid Bacteria Yogurt. In regular yogurt the lactic acid bacteria originate from animal sources. In this new yogurt from Kameda the lactic acid bacteria are from vegetable sources; they have been isolated from rice. This unique culture is called Lactobacillus casei Kameda. The yogurt is made from a blend of fresh milk and rice. Kameda states that this is the first vegetable lactic acid bacteria yogurt in Japan. It was developed as a result of this company’s research into rice processing technology. Kameda Seika is a leading rice cracker manufacturer. This new culture, L. casei Kameda is effective in regulating the intestines and has anticancer properties. This has been verified by the Japan Food Science and Engineering Association. This is a rich and creamy yogurt with a full-bodied and refreshing flavor. 120g cup, guide price Y120.
Cheese
Ohayo Nyugyo: Ohayo Otsumami Cheese – Onion and Garlic, a new flavor in this series of snack cheeses [otsumami means snack]. Processed cheese flavored with onion and garlic and cut into bite-size cubes. A spicy cheese snack. 50g bag Y150.
Dairy desserts
Takanashi Nyugyo: Takanashi Fresh Cream and Egg Custard with Caramel and Almonds [translation]. The fresh cream and the milk used in this custard dessert is from Hokkaido. The fresh eggs are from this company’s own farms. 130g cup Y120, refrigerated storage.
Functional foods
Meiji Seika Kaisha: Meiji Oligo de Shikkari Ca. This product is calcium-fortified fructo-oligosaccharide. It has FOSHU approval to make the claim that it is a calcium supplement food in which the fructo-oligosaccharide acts to improve calcium absorption for strong bones. This is the first time that such a claim has been permitted for an oligosaccharide. This is also the first time FOSHU approval has been given to a product in tablet form. 6 tablets each containing fructo-oligosaccharide and 300mg calcium. Compared with a tablet of calcium alone, the calcium is 1.5 times more readily absorbed. In addition, fructo-oligosaccharide helps to regulate the intestines [because it promotes the growth of intestinal bifidus bacteria]. Yogurt flavor, only 29kcal. Aimed at children, office ladies and housewives. 12 tablets (20g) Y150 (plus tax), 84 tablets (140g) Y1,000 (plus tax), sales target Y300 million (retail sale basis).
Warner Lambert: Trident Recaldent. This chewing gum was developed by Dr. Eric Reynolds at Melbourne University, Australia. It prevents loss of calcium from teeth and renews enamel. It contains new components, natural extracts from milk products – casein phosphopeptide (CPP) and amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP). The product is a joint development with Bonlac Foods Ltd and is patented. The product is marketed around the world. The varieties in the product range are Recaldent refreshing mint flavor 14 tablets of gum Y120, Recaldent mild mint flavor, 10 sticks of gum Y120, Recaldent Kids juicy fruit flavor, 8 mini sticks of gum Y100.
Health food
Tohato: Tohato Murasakiimo Sable [purple sweet potato]. These sable type cookies contain healthy purple sweet potato rich in polyphenols and anthocyanins, natural antioxidants that eliminate free radicals. [No claims are made on the product]. 10 cookies per pack, guide price Y220, 20 per case, ambient shelf-life 180 days.
Medicinal foods
Q P Corp.: Janef brand series of foods for people with kidney disease. These are low-protein and high-calorie foods in which the protein, sodium chloride, potassium and phosphorous contents are all reduced. These foods are both for patients in hospital and at home. Special low-protein rice is used. These are ambient storage retort packaged foods. One example of the meals is as follows: mushrooms with rice contains shiitake and matsutake mushrooms, 250g Y245, 24per case.
Nutritional supplements
Fancl: Fancl Keiatsu Support, a nutritional supplement to improve high blood pressure and the variety of associated diseases. It contains isoflavones, vitamin P, black koji moromi, buckwheat leaf powder, etc. Daily dose 4 tablets. 120 x 200mg tablets Y1,500.
Baby foods
Meidi-Ya: Gerber Baby Food. New products and a relaunch of 9 products in the series of baby food rice crackers produced in Japan by Meidi-Ya under licence from Gerber. The new products include shrimp rice crackers made with specially selected sakura shrimps for a fresh shrimp flavor plus additional nutritional value. Less added sodium chloride. These rice crackers also contain calcium, iron and xylitol and are free from allergens (eggs, milk, soybeans). Suitable for babies from 9 months old. 12 x 22.5g Y200. Other new products in this range include vegetable rice crackers for babies from 6months old, 12 x 25g Y200; teething biscuits for babies from 7 months old, 12 x 73g Y250 and animal shape biscuits for babies from 8 months old, 12 x 60g Y200.
Crispbread
Mikasa Foods: Cracottes Sandwich. Plain crispbread sandwich filled with cheese cream in Camembert cheese or Cheddar cheese flavors. The cracottes are produced using a twin-screw extruder. The plain cracottes have been on the market in Japan for 12 years. These cracotte sandwiches filled with a creamy mild cheese cream center are new. A light snack. 33g pillow pack Y130, ambient shelf-life one year, sales target Y100 million.
Breakfast cereals
Calbee: Calbee Brown Sugar, Calbee Topping Choco and Calbee Choco Puff, breakfast cereals in a cup. Each wide-mouth cup contains a single serving of 40g. Eat them as they are as a snack or add milk for a delicious cereal. Each cup contains a plastics spoon. 40g guide price Y130.
Dressings
Kenko Mayonnaise: Kenko Creamy Dressing, emulsified dressings in two varieties – yogurt flavor, black sesame flavor. The yogurt flavor has a smooth, creamy and mellow mouthfeel. The healthy black sesame flavor creamy dressing has the rich aroma and flavor of sesame and a mellow mouthfeel. Both 180ml Y250, 12 per case.
Meat products
Yonekyu: Yonekyu Oishii Mura-no Kodomotachi [delicious, village children]. A series of small packs of low-temperature foods (store at -5C) to be eaten as snacks with beer or for children. The series includes deep-fried chicken thighs rolled up in nori laver and quick frozen 180g, petit dog (cute little American dog sausages), a favorite snack 150g, petit omelettes filled with meat sauce 180g (6 portions), and petit potato (crisp and crunchy hashed Canadian potatoes 300g). All priced at Y258, 10 per case, shelf-life at below -5C 45 days.
Fish products
Toyo Suisan: Maruchan Garlic Chili Sausage. This fish sausage is spiced with garlic and chili pepper for a hot and spicy flavor, great as a snack with beer. 80g pillow pack Y100, 40 per case.
