Japanese ham maker NH Foods (Nippon Ham Co., Ltd.), known as Nippon Ham, has developed two plant-based seafood products — fish fry and popcorn shrimp.
The Japanese company, preparing for a shortage of marine resources that could lead to a global food crisis, has spent a year developing alt products using soy protein, seaweed extract and other plant ingredients to recreate the texture and taste of seafood, Euronews reports. The products will be launched in March 2023.
Founded in 1949, Nippon Ham is a global company with companies worldwide, including in China and the United States. The company started with the production of hams and sausage products. Over the years, it has expanded from being Japan’s largest protein supplier to producing products such as non-allergenic foods and plant-based alternatives. Its products include fresh beef, chicken, ham, sausage, processed meat, seafood, vegetables and, more recently, new plant-based ham and sausage developments.
collab With next meets?
According to Euronews, the processed food business division of NH Foods has developed its new alt seafood product in partnership with popular Japanese food tech Next Meats. At this time We can’t provide more information about this partnership, but it seems logical for a ham specialist to join a plant-based specialist such as Next Meats. Stay tuned for more information.
NextMeats was founded in 2020, the same year Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries launched the Public-Private Partnership Council on Food Technology to encourage the adoption of meat alternatives. Since then, many startups have been developing and launching a new wave of alt proteins in the country. NextMeat’s head of public relations Makino Iya describes 2020 as the beginning of a new era for Japan’s meat-alternatives market.
The Japanese plant meat specialist has already launched 33 alt-protein products, including the “world’s first” plant-based yakiniku short rib and skirt steak. The irresistible company recently announced plans to launch plant-based foie gras in the US in 2023.
Revealing new possibilities for proteins
“Since its founding in 1942, NH (Nippon Ham) Foods Group has created new food cultures by responding to changing consumer needs and expanding the possibilities of food through the development of new categories. We aim to achieve further growth under Vision2030, which we set in 2021 to “unlock new possibilities for protein,” the company says on its website.