Japan Food Service Journal articles from June 2003

Japan Food Service Journal archives from June 2003

Restaurant same-store sales off 6.4% in FY2002.(says Japan Foodservice Association report)(Brief Article)
June 25, 2003... Members of the Japan Foodservice Association report that same-store sales fell 6.4% year on year in FY2002 while overall sales, including new shops, climbed a modest 0.8%. The same-store decline included a drop of 2.7% in yakiniku (grilled...

Convenience chain Lawson takes pioneering no-additive approach.(Lawson Inc. stocking only preservative-free products)(Brief Article)
June 25, 2003... Lawson is implementing new voluntary standards for its food product suppliers and gradually eliminating additives from its food products. Beginning in early May, outlets of the convenience store in the Tokyo and Osaka areas stopped carrying...

Chains try creating local variety in menus, service.(Brief Article)
June 25, 2003... Restaurant chains known for menus, uniforms and service that never vary from shop to shop are starting to introduce local variations designed to lure customers. McDonald's Japan is now offering menu items unique to the Tokyo, Shizuoka and...

Izakaya expanding hours, menus to draw in female diners.(pubs and restaurants make changes to encorage women's custom)(Brief Article)
June 25, 2003... Izakaya, the traditional Japanese pubs that have long kept late hours and attracted a mainly male clientele, are now making changes designed to appeal to female customers. Tasco System and Tsubohachi have a few shops that have recently begun...

Tofu-based dessert shops popping up.(Brief Article)
June 25, 2003... Tofu is the key dessert ingredient at a number of new shops around Tokyo, although in at least some of those shops the menu recalls dishes associated with the ancient capital Kyoto. One popular dish right now is Nama Yuba Amami Soft. The ice...

More juice bars catering to commuters.(Brief Article)
June 25, 2003... Busy commuter stations have become the favored site for juice bars. Shops include Juicer Bar, a project of Keihan Electric Railway which features about a dozen varieties of fruit and vegetable juices, mostly under 300 yen. For 200 yen...

Tokyu Stores among markets selling side dishes by weight.(Brief Article)
June 25, 2003... Encouraged by the popularity of an experimental service in four shops, Tokyu Store is expanding the availability of side dishes sold by weight. The deli-style service will be available in 17 stores by the end of FY2003. Dishes such as green...

Toraji features Korean teas at new Tokyo cafe In-sa-dong.(Brief Article)
June 25, 2003... In-sa-dong is a new cafe in Odaiba, Tokyo featuring Korean teas made with fruits and vegetables. The dozen selections include omija-cha (700 yen), made from a medicinal plant, jujube tea (600 yen), sujeonggwa-cha with dried persimmon (700...

McDonald's Japan appoints Donahue as Fujita's replacement.(Pat Donahue; Den Fujita)(Brief Article)
June 25, 2003... McDonald's Holdings Co. Japan has appointed Pat Donahue as CEO to replace Den Fujita. Yasuyuki Yagi will continue to serve as president and COO. The US McDonald's previously appointed Donahue to oversee operations in Japan and represent its...

Tokyo moves to require nutritional information at dining establishments.(Brief Article)
June 25, 2003... The government of Tokyo Prefecture is preparing the approximately 170,000 food and drink establishments in its jurisdiction to make nutritional information available to their customers. The businesses will have to indicate nutrients and...

Frozen Shell Fish, etc., from Nichiro.(Nichiro Fisheries Company Ltd.)(Brief Article)
June 25, 2003... Tokyo based Nichiro has recently announced the released of 11 seafood ingredients for the catering industry. Products include:"Umi No Tane Asari & Asarinijiru" - Shelled clams in a clam broth. Each 25.5g portion contains 5 clams (5.1g)...

Tuna Flakes from Kyokuyo.(Brief Article)
June 25, 2003... Tokyo based Kyokuyo has released 4 new tuna flake products for the catering industry. The products are:"Maguro Flake Yuzuke" - Tuna flakes in oil. "Maguro Chunks Yuzuke" - Tuna chunks in oil. "Maguro Flakes Mizuni" - Tuna flakes...

Seafood Menu from Kyokuyo.(Brief Article)
June 25, 2003... Kyokuyo has released 4 new products for the catering industry. "Shiromi Sakana Roll Fry" - Carrots and kidney beans wrapped in cod and coated in bread crumbs. Produced in China. 40g x 100 x 2 packs. "Ika Cuts" - Ground squid and...

Frozen Food Range from Aquri.(Aquri Foods )(Brief Article)
June 25, 2003... Tokyo based Aquri Foods has released 4 new frozen food products for the catering industry. "Focaccia 70" - A Northern Italian style bread roll ideal for pannini or pizza type toppings. "Naan 50" - A traditional Indian naan style...

Frozen Dessert Products from Japan Tobacco.(Brief Article)
June 25, 2003... Tokyo based Japan Tobacco has released 2 new frozen jelly desserts. "Maze Maze Apple Jelly" - An apple jelly containing diced cut pieces of apple, pineapple and peach. Contains added iron and vitamin C. 500g x 12. "Cream Cheese Fu...

Beer Snacks from Japan Tobacco.(Brief Article)
June 25, 2003... Japan Tobacco has added 3 new products to its "Kanpai Gurume" renge of beer snacks. "Chicken Garantinue" - 5mm thick strips of chicken thigh meat coated in a dough mixed with paprika and finely sliced olives. 330g x 9 packs x 2. ...

Meat Dumplings from Japan Tobacco.(Brief Article)
June 25, 2003... Japan Tobacco has released "Gurume Niku Dango (Goma Misodare)" 18g size meat dumplings with a sauce consisting of fermented red soybean paste and white sesame seeds. 900g (50 dumplings + 250g sauce).

Crisp Fried Shrimp from Kyokuyo.(Brief Article)
June 25, 2003... Kyokuyo has recently released 3 new frozen type sea food beer snacks. "Ebi Crispy Age" - Succulent peeled shrimp coated in a crispy batter. 1kg x 6 bags. "Ika Crispy Age" - "Murasaki" squid slices coated in a crispy batter. 1kg x 6...

Sashimi Scallops from Kyokuyo.(Brief Article)
June 25, 2003... Kyokuyo has released "Osashimai Hotate Fry" succulent sashimi (Raw fish) style freshly frozen scallops coated in crispy bread crumbs. 40g x 100 pieces x 2 packs.

Two New Broths from Ajinomoto.(Brief Article)
June 25, 2003... Ajinomoto has released 2 new pork and chicken bone extract broth products for the catering industry. Bones from chicken and pork raised in Hokkaido (Japan's most Northern island) are frozen directly after processing and used in the broth...

Suntory launches new bottle and can for non-alcoholic beer product.(Suntory International Corp.)(Brief Article)
June 25, 2003... Suntory has launched a new 350ml bottle and 350ml six-pack can for its non-alcoholic beer Fine Brew. Fine Brew has become popular among restaurants and pubs since many customers want to avoid alcohol but still enjoy the atmosphere where...

Magic Moving Plates.(Ishino Seisakujo's magnetised conveyor belt for sushi restaurants)(Brief Article)
June 25, 2003... Kanazawa Prefecture based "Ishino Seisakujo" has developed "Magic Table" a unique plate conveyor system for use in revolving sushi restaurants. The table consists of a magnetised conveyor belt hidden from view that moves the plates...

Ultraviolet Catalytic Air Freshener.(developed by Mitsubishi Shoji and Iwasaki Denki)(Brief Article)
June 25, 2003... Mitsubishi Shoji in conjunction with Iwasaki Denki has developed a device that uses ultra violet light to eliminate food and cooking odours. The product is now being installed in the chain of kabob restaurants operated by Fujio Food Systems....

Nisshin Flour Milling allergen detector for wheat, buckwheat and peanuts.(Brief Article)
June 25, 2003... Responding to greater government mandates for labeling of foods containing allergens, Nisshin Flour Milling has created three allergen detecting systems, targeting wheat, buckwheat and peanuts. Hitachi Chemical will vend the systems, each of...

Kanebo spins out new uses for biodegradable Lactron.(Brief Article)
June 25, 2003... Kanebo has created garbage bags and foamed packaging from its biodegradable material Lactron. Nara Prefecture is testing the use of the 45 liter garbage bags, which are more costly to make, but the local government is subsidizing the cost....

Sekisui Plastics, Sekiho fish box's EPS keeps cold in, design keeps air out.(Brief Article)
June 25, 2003... Sekisui Plastics and Sekiho have created an EPS package that makes ice last twice as long and channels away any moisture so it does not spoil fish stored inside. Earlier cases with pores in the side to let water out also let air in. The new...

Plastic can products from Tachibana Packaging.(Brief Article)
June 25, 2003... Tachibana Packaging vends the NP Can, a can made of a layer of PP resin, PP film, aluminum foil and PP film again to create a very strong barrier. The containers can be printed colorfully, stand up to retort treatment, do not dent like metal,...

Pressed bamboo skin containers from Matsumoto.(Brief Article)
June 25, 2003... Matsumoto offers the Takekawa Press Yoki (pressed bamboo skin container), using two plies of bamboo skins glued and pressed together at high temperatures. Approved as food containers, the items give an elegant feel to products and with drier...

Osaka Jushi Kako offers variety of new plastic sheets.(Brief Article)
June 25, 2003... Osaka Jushi Kako says it is now mass producing new PP sheets and biodegradable plastic sheets for general applications. One of Japan's big players in the plastic sheet market, it has created four new varieties of PP sheet. The first is Orphan...

Kawakami Sangyo's Cut Raku addition to Puti Puti series.(line of film products)(Brief Article)
June 25, 2003... Kawakami Sangyo has developed a new addition to its Puti Puti line of film products with air bubbles. Cut Raku can be cut by hand easily from any point on the film so the user can cut as much as needed. The line already has Piri Puti with...

Nakatani Shoko product freezes food faster.(Brief Article)
June 25, 2003... The new Dripless Mini freezer from Nakatani Shoko uses a quick liquid freezing system to bring foods to deep-frozen temperatures more quickly and thus avoid larger ice crystals that can damage foods. A piece of beef that would take four hours...

Toyo Shoji meal packer speed is 2600 units per hour.(Brief Article)
June 25, 2003... The TSV-330Z from Toyo Shoji packs 2600 meals per hour in vertical pillow packs, putting it in the middle of the manufacturer's speed range, which runs from 200 to 4000 per hour. Made with durable SUS304 steel and a servo motor, the machine...