Japan Food Service Journal articles from October 2002

Japan Food Service Journal archives from October 2002

Tokyo Disney Sea visits exceed expectations.
October 25, 2002... After 12 months of operation, Tokyo Disney Sea, the sister theme park to Tokyo Disneyland, is attracting an average of more than one million visitors a month. Although operator Oriental Land does not release official annual attendance, that...

Raffles International expansion plan eyes arrival in Japan.
October 25, 2002... Raffles International has announced an ambitious plan to nearly double the number of its hotel rooms. The Singapore-based chain currently oversees 13,000 rooms at about three dozen Raffles and Swissotel locations worldwide. The new plan...

Seven-Eleven, FamilyMart ready China presence.
October 25, 2002... Seven-Eleven stores will start popping up in China this decade as the Ito Yokado Group takes a 51% interest in a new joint venture for the purpose. The group has found Chinese and Taiwanese partners and has announced plans to open 500 shops...

Morozoff opens Soda Fountain in Shibuya.
October 25, 2002... Soda Fountain is a new Morozoff establishment serving a variety of sodas featuring seasonal and local flavors as well as more traditional ones. The shop in Shibuya, Tokyo plans to offer a total of about 20 flavors over the course of the year,...

Akasaka Prince Hotel shot bar becomes crepe buffet during day.
October 25, 2002... The Oasis shot bar in Tokyo's Akasaka Prince Hotel is now open for business from 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM, but instead of alcohol, a crepe buffet is offered. For 1500 yen, diners can enjoy as many crepes as they like, choosing white wheat, whole...

Saizeriya readying Australian food processing plant.
October 25, 2002... Saizeriya is preparing to start operations at a new plant near Melbourne, Australia that will prepare hamburger patties, soups, sauces and other items, quick-freezing them and shipping them to Japan. The start of operations comes none too...

Crayon diversifies with women-run sushi restaurant.
October 25, 2002... Apparel maker Crayon has opened Sushi Higashiyama Hanami Koji Noboru Muromachikado, which it describes as a sushi shop for women by women. All shop workers are women in their twenties, and the shop particularly works to attract groups of...

Takashimaya group starts shop specializing in Chinese sweets.
October 25, 2002... RT Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Takashimaya, has just opened Tocho The Sweet Dynasty, a shop whose menu features Chinese-style sweets. Allied with the similarly named Hong Kong business, the new shop in Tokyo offers over 100...

Sugakico Systems garners license for Chinese tea cafe.
October 25, 2002... Sugakico Systems, which runs a chain of ramen noodle shops, has signed a licensing agreement with a Taiwanese firm that runs Chinese tea cafes in other countries. A subsidiary of Sugakico Systems is managing the first Cha for Tea shop,...

Umenohana plans hotel diners in US, China.
October 25, 2002... Umenohana, known for its chain of restaurants featuring tofu and yuba (dried soybean casein) dishes, is planning to open shops in the US and China. It is presently setting up subsidiary Umenohana USA to pave the way for a branch of its...

Japan Foodservice Association notes rising interest in food ingredients.
October 25, 2002... The Japan Foodservice Association says that according to its analysis of consumer survey results, a sharply rising number of people are interested in food ingredients, including where they are from and how they were produced. The survey was...

McDonald's offers new take-out lunches.
October 25, 2002... Sixty-one outlets of McDonald's Japan are selling take-out lunches. A limited number of the lunches, priced at 500 yen, are available each weekday at the locations, which are all in Tokyo. The centerpiece of the set is a chicken patty with...

Preta Manger opens first Japan shops.
October 25, 2002... Preta Manger Japan has opened its first three shops, all in Tokyo, selling many of the sandwiches made famous by its British parent company as well as others developed specifically for local tastes. The shops carry 21 varieties of sandwiches...

MOS Food Service kicks off evening menu at MOS Burger.
October 25, 2002... MOS Burger shops recently kicked off an evening menu at eight trial locations to try to promote business during less-busy hours. Examples include the Tomato Cream Soup Set, which includes soup, bread, Japanese-style salad and French fries for...

MOS Food Service's new shops feature menu that changes throughout the day.
October 25, 2002... MOS Food Service has remodeled several of its MOS Burger shops into a new business called Kitchen MOS. The Kitchen MOS menu changes throughout the day, starting with a selection of breakfast sandwiches until 11:00 AM. From 11:00 AM to 2:00...

Kanto Kongoki Kogyo industrial food mixer.
October 25, 2002... Kanto Kongoki Kogyo offers food processing companies a vertical food mixer, the Double Axle. The capacity is either 60 (KDM-60, 2.5 million yen) or 90 liters (KDM-90, 3.1 million yen). The manufacturer created the mixer with stainless stain...

Soft ice cream server from Sanyo Electric Sanki.
October 25, 2002... Sanyo Electric Sanki vends the W Spin Soft Cream Freezer, a system that serves four types of soft ice cream at one time, for 1.73 million yen. Its improved functionality includes a water-efficient cooler and automatic heat-sterilization...

UV-cutting awning material from Kuraray.
October 25, 2002... Kuraray is selling Sunbreak awning material that gives a classy look to any shop while reducing heat and UV radiation. This makes air conditioning more efficient. Many colors are available. Price is 3600 yen per meter (width is 94cm).

Wataru's pod-type espresso machine.
October 25, 2002... Wataru vends Dada, a pod-type espresso machine that makes it easy for even beginners to make excellent coffee drinks (158,000 yen). With the coffee grounds placed in disposable pods, the machine stays clean. The machine makes it easy to brew...

Natural Mexican coffee from Tomiya Coffee.
October 25, 2002... Tomiya Coffee carries Shizen-ha Coffee Taiyo to Daichi no Blend. The blend is mostly a naturally grown type from Oaxaca, Mexico. The grower produces just a limited amount every year. The remaining types in the blend are from Central America....

DaVinci macadamia nut-flavored syrup imported by Maruka Shoji.
October 25, 2002... Maruka Shoji imports DaVinci Macadamia Nut Syrup from US manufacturer DaVinci. The syrup is a mild addition for coffee, tea or cocktails and is excellent hot or cold. It sells in 750ml bottles.

World Trading offers colorful, flavorful tortillas.
October 25, 2002... Wrap n Roll is a tortilla with nine flavors, including tomato, curry, blueberry and chocolate. The tortillas may be served hot or cold. World Trading recommends using the colorful tortillas to wrap sandwich fillings or sweet fillings.

Youki Food walnut and almond paste products.
October 25, 2002... Youki Food offers 100% walnut paste as well as almond paste. It recommends using the products in baking, drinks or as a dressing. The walnut paste can help reduce cholesterol and the almond paste is full of vitamin E. The two come in 400g...

Sanwa Roland brings popovers to Japan.
October 25, 2002... Sanwa Roland is bringing popovers to Japan. The bread is fast to prepare at high temperature and puffs up considerably. It is useful for cooking, since it can be used in sandwiches and soups as well as hors d'ouevres.

Doutor Coffee releases European style drink and bagel with vegetables.
October 25, 2002... Doutor Coffee has released two new items at about 860 Doutor Coffee shops all over Japan. Ice Orzo Latte is a drink made of barley extract, milk and condensed milk. Orzo is an Italian word for barley. The company has adapted a very popular...

Olive oil with wasabi (Japanese horseradish) from Kaneku.
October 25, 2002... Kaneku has released commercial-use olive oil with wasabi (Japanese horseradish), Herb Wasabi (320ml, 1100 yen). The company uses high quality extra virgin olive oil from Spain blended with Japanese-grown wasabi using Kaneku's original...

Heinz Japan launches commercial-use small-portion precooked frozen food series.
October 25, 2002... Heinz Japan has launched Cocot Series, precooked frozen food in small portions to be put in small dishes and heated in the oven. The items include Americane Gratin (potatoes with a white sauce and American sauce blend and shrimp flavor),...

Naiki Foods releases mustard sauce with cassis.
October 25, 2002... Naiki Foods has released Cassis Creamy (200g PET bottle), a commercial-use mustard sauce flavored with cassis liqueur. The product also contains mayonnaise, d-glucose, mustard and vinegar. It is sweet and sour mustard sauce and good with...

Coconut-banana frozen cake from Ribbon Foods.
October 25, 2002... Ribbon Foods has launched commercial-use frozen cake Coconut Banana (round, 370g). It is a new product that combines coconut and banana, two fruits that are both currently popular. Raspberry jam is sandwiched between the layers for an accent....

Oie Sangyo Chinese-style dumplings.
October 25, 2002... Sanhomu Shumai is the name of Chinese-style dumplings from Oie Sangyo. Good steamed or fried, the small-type dumplings (weighing 14g each) are good for cafeterias, pubs and buffet restaurants. They sell in trays of 15.

Heinz Japan releases commercial-use frozen precooked dishes.
October 25, 2002... Heinz Japan has released commercial-use frozen precooked dishes Beef Stew and Cream Stew. The items are in paper containers with lids so they are convenient for various types of users. Beef Stew (200g, 430 yen) contains rather large beef...

Two new commercial-use spice products from Ajinomoto.
October 25, 2002... Ajinomoto has launched two new spice products for commercial use, Jikkuri Nikomi (literally, "cooked slowly for a long time," 1300g bottle) and Gugutto Italian ("very Italian," 1200g bottle). Jikkuri Nikomi is made mainly from onions fried...

Three new commercial-use Knorr sauce products from Ajinomoto.
October 25, 2002... Ajinomoto has released three new commercial-use sauce items from Knorr brand. Ajinomoto Gyomuyo Knorr Aseptic Sauce Series has been popular as a high quality product for restaurants. The products are filled into the containers aseptically....

Two new commercial-use Feijan ramen noodle soup items from Ajinomoto.
October 25, 2002... Ajinomoto has released two new items in the Feijan commercial-use ramen noodle soup series. The items are Torigara Shoyu Ramen no Tare and Torigara Shio Ramen no Tare. Torigara Shoyu Ramen no Tare is a chicken ramen soup stock with mild soy...

Sumitomo 3M tester checks state of frying oil using European criteria.
October 25, 2002... The PC Tester focuses on polar compounds as its tests frying oil for degradation. Whereas in Japan frying oil regulations are usually based on the number of uses, many European countries require the oil be tested for the presence of polar...

Big Ben biotech panels control odors from grease traps, dirty water tanks.
October 25, 2002... Big Ben uses the microorganism DB9011, a form of Bacillus subtillus, in a new panel product designed to be applied to the walls of grease traps and dirty water storage tanks and break down the proteins that cause odors there. DB9011...

Rheon Automatic Machinery downsizes baking line.
October 25, 2002... Rheon Automatic Machinery has introduced a downsized version of its fully automated bread production machine. Dubbed the VM 025 Line, it takes up about 1/3 the space required by its predecessor and is just 1.6m tall. The size reduction is...

Tricompany, Japan Beer Accessory Selling Insulating Cover for Beer Kegs.
October 25, 2002... Cold insulation maker Tricompany and kitchen tool maker Japan Beer Accessory have jointly developed a wrap-around cover for beer barrels to keep them cool for longer periods. Dubbed Hiyashi Taru Zo Cover, the product was conceived by Japan...

Pharmafoods Creates Pylori Antibody for Use in Yogurt.
October 25, 2002... Pharmafoods developed a technology to mass produce antibodies that fight H. pylori, a type of bacteria thought to cause stomach ulcers. To create these antibodies, chickens are injected with H. pylori and a substance with high immunity to...

Fujico Additive Controls Blood Pressure.
October 25, 2002... Fujico developed a method to produce a nutritional element with the ability to control high blood pressure. The company used a special lactobacillus to culture brown rice and rice bran and created an extract containing a high...

Software Manages Food Supplies, Staff Levels for Restaurant Chains.
October 25, 2002... ToReBiS is a software product targeted at restaurant chains to help control food freshness, order food as needed and automate staff scheduling. Users program the software with recipes and ingredients so that the software can maintain supply...

Technique Defrosts Foods Evenly.
October 25, 2002... Komego of Tottori Prefecture and Kirin Engineering have jointly created a defrosting technique that lets foods thaw evenly between the surface and interior and thus better maintain their quality. The strong smell of fish like mackerel is...

New-Style Sushi Conveyor Carries More Product.
October 25, 2002... Kitanihon Kakoh manufactures the Chainless Conveyer, a system used to carry sushi around the counter at convenience sushi restaurants. Instead of a chain, the system leads the dishes around with magnetism. Each dish sits on a tray that slides...

Nori Slit to Perfect Size with New System.
October 25, 2002... Suzumo Kiko's new FNC Benritter cuts rolls of nori (dried laver) into a variety of widths for sushi and similar products. Nori is typically wrapped around such products in a band. Suzumo designed the new machine to work alongside other...

New Dryer Protects Food Flavor, Smell, Texture.
October 25, 2002... Vianove has created the Food Dryer ViVi-9, which uses ultrasonic radiation of wavelength 9mum to preserve food taste, smell and texture. Foods get their unique tastes and smells from a combination of enzymes, but standard heat dryers and air...

Clean Pouch-Filling at Room Temperature.
October 25, 2002... Dynasept from Dai Nippon Printing offers a germ-free way to fill liquid food seasonings into pouches. Pre-sterilized sauces, soups and other items are filled, using a very clean environment, into their packages, which can then be used for...

High Function Powdered Fat Production Process.
October 25, 2002... Ezaki Glico has announced the development of a functional powdered fat production process capable of producing powdered fat with a an 80% fat content - double that of similar conventional methods. According to the manufacturer, the...

Fat Crystallisation Process.
October 25, 2002... Asahi Denka Kogyo has announced the development of a process that enables fat to be crystallised into micro sized particles. When used in bread, the crystals measuring one-tenth the size of conventional fat crystals, produce a fluffier,...

Anti Fat Properties Found in Bean.
October 25, 2002... Fujicco has discovered that the pigment agent anthocyanin naturally present in the skin of black soybeans helps suppress the accumulation of fat in the stomach and reduces the amount of cholesterol in the blood. The company is now looking to...

Fine Pulverizer for Fiber-Rich Foods.
October 25, 2002... Manufacturers of health foods are among the target users of the Blade Mill from Nisshin Engineering. The Blade Mill converts highly fibrous foods into powder of just a few micrometers in diameter, as much as 10 times finer than earlier...

Chewing Gum Helps Battle Cancer.
October 25, 2002... Hokkaido University and Lotte have discovered that adding a plant pigment with anti-cancer action to gum can help shrink tumors from oral cancer. Researchers experimented with this pigment in Sri Lanka where chewing tobacco is popular and...

New Method to Produce Margarine.
October 25, 2002... Kaneka says it has developed a new production method for margarine. This method applies high pressure to the oil to make it crystallize, reportedly an industry first. That reduces production time and works with various kinds of oils. The...

Showa Sangyo's tempura flour easy to dissolve in water.
October 25, 2002... Tempura Taisakusen!, from Showa Sangyo, is a new tempura flour that dissolves quickly in water. This is made possible by combining all the ingredients and forming evenly sized particles out of the blended mixture, rather than turning each...

Nissin Foods markets pasta sauces made by new method.
October 25, 2002... Nissin Foods is marketing four new pasta sauces - Bolognese, Pomodoro, Salmon Cream and Carbonara - made by a proprietary method that preserves more of the flavor and nutrients in retort-packaged sauces than is obtained through existing...

Takara Shuzo applies NGF from plants to foods.
October 25, 2002... Takara Shuzo has discovered a substance in edible plants that has the potential to treat Alzheimer's disease or prevent it all together. The substance, which is extracted from such plants as ashitaba, a herb rich in vitamins and minerals, as...

Kikkoman's kit detects salmonella bacteria in 24 hours.
October 25, 2002... Kikkoman is marketing CheckLite Salmonella, a food hygiene inspection kit that uses the light-emitting enzyme luciferase, from fireflies, to detect the presence of salmonella, a leading cause of food poisoning. The kit is used in conjunction...