Working Toward Sustainable Food Systems

Excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has become a major challenge in agriculture, since this practice impacts the natural environment and farmers. Trehalose can help solve these problems. The use of chemical pesticides can be reduced due to trehalose's role as a biostimulant that increases the stress tolerance of plants. It also reduces pesticide exposure and protects the health of farmers. Trehalose is also used in bio-materials formulated with soil microorganisms that promote plant growth, contributing to the cultivation of organic crops instead of chemical fertilizer-based cultivation.

We make effective use of limited resources and reduce our environmental footprint through waste. We do this by using raw materials made from agricultural products, like fallen fruit, that are considered waste and cannot be marketed to produce food and cosmetic ingredients. This is effective in supporting the livelihood of partner companies and organizations involved in production, as well as individual producers.
In addition, there are some cases that we have proposed ways to utilize our ingredients to customers who are aiming for an upcycle of discarded by-products, which has led to the launch of new products.

Adding trehalose to processed foods extends their shelf lives, leading to a reduction in food waste. We develop a variety of recipes in our in-house laboratory equipped with prototyping capabilities and offer suggestions to food manufacturers and other partners on how to effectively use our ingredients.
We are aggressively working toward our goal set at the Tokyo Nutrition for Growth Summit 2021 to implement 100 support projects per year leveraging our food processing technology and expertise.

As people age, their ability to chew and swallow food deteriorates, increasing the probability of malnutrition and aspiration. Nagase Viita is working to develop and promote recipes for delicious, easy-to-eat meals for the elderly using trehalose in Japan - one of the first countries in the world to face a super-aging society. As a member of the Japan Care Food Conference, Nagase Viita also promotes Universal Design Food (UDF) and proposes improvements to food provision services at hospitals and welfare facilities.
In addition, we are actively engaged in providing information to the general public about "frailty" (the intermediate stage between normal health and the need for nursing care), which is a concern for extending healthy life expectancy in Japan's super-aging society.

Increased demand for food due to population growth is threatening to create a protein shortage. While various alternative proteins have been developed to supplement protein, their dry texture and distinctive odor pose a challenge. Trehalose solves these issues. We are developing recipes and making proposals to make alternative proteins tasty.

Stable vitamin C, Ascofresh^TM, is not easily oxidized or decomposed by heat, light, oxygen, iron, etc., and does not easily react with compounds such as amino acids. So, it can be used in disaster preparedness food and emergency stores to help address the problem of insufficient vitamin C intake in disaster-stricken areas. Ascofresh^TM is also used in nutritional foods for the elderly and perfected foods that provide the necessary nutrients, along with protein and minerals, in a single product thereby supporting health.