Industry news– category –
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The Day Discarded Whey Met the Peach | The Challenge of Yamanashi's KEIPE and Kiyosato Milk
Yamanashi's KEIPE and the Kiyosato Milk Plant will release a new gelato "Noryo Jealousy," combining whey produced in cheese-making with off-spec fruit, on April 28, 2026. We summarize the background of the release and where to buy it. -
VegProject brings 12 companies together at “VEG FOOD EXPO 2026”—April 15–17 at Tokyo Big Sight, with a new vegan selection area and over 50,000 visitors expected
The NPO VegProject Japan will hold VEG FOOD EXPO at Tokyo Big Sight from April 15–17, 2026. Twelve vegan-certified companies will gather, a special area will be newly set up, and over 50,000 visitors are expected. -
22 Companies Including Kagome Launch the "Vegetable-Shortage Solution Idea Contest 2026 for Those in Their 20s"—The Reality of 218g for Men and 210g for Women in Their 20s, Recruiting University-Born Solutions with 500,000 Yen in Total Prizes
22 companies led by Kagome launched an idea contest 2026 for students on March 2. Against intake of 218g for men and 210g for women in their 20s, it invites measures to close the gap to the 350g target. Realistic solutions such as keeping dried vegetables stocked in the office are also welcome. -
Vietnam's Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishery Exports Reach 16.69 Billion Dollars in Q1 2026—Sharp Price Drops in Coffee and Rice, but Fisheries Up 13% Provide Support
According to the Q1 (January–March) 2026 export statistics for agriculture, forestry, and fishery products announced by Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, total exports reached 16.69 billion US dollars (up 5.9% year-on-year). It was achieved amid the headwind of a sharp drop in international prices for staple crops such as coffee and rice, and the resilience of the fisheries sector in particular... -
MAFF to Run a Support Mission for Food Companies Entering Vietnam in July—Capacity of 20, Free to Participate, Briefing Applications Within April
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries will run a public-private business mission in Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi) on July 13–17, 2026. For food and agriculture-related companies, capacity is 20 with free participation. A briefing will be held on April 20. -
The Agriculture & Livestock Industries Corporation's "Vegetable Information, April 2026 Issue" Features ZEROCO's Freshness-Preservation Technology—The Potential of Ice-Temperature Storage for Agriculture and Distribution
The April 2026 issue of the monthly "Vegetable Information," published by the Agriculture & Livestock Industries Corporation (ALIC), carried a feature article on the vegetable freshness-preservation technology developed by ZEROCO Inc. The corporation is a public institution that surveys and publishes vegetable supply-demand and price trends, and being featured in its specialist journal shows industry attention on ZEROCO's technology... -
What Changed with "Too Good To Go" Landing in Japan—A Turning Point the Food-Loss-Reduction App Presses on the Food Industry
On January 28, 2026, the Denmark-born food-loss-reduction app "Too Good To Go" entered the Japanese market. Registered users topped 250,000 within a week of launch, and it captured the No.1 overall ranking on the App Store. This speed shows that Japanese consumers... -
The global cost of food waste surges to USD 540 billion—3 measures agriculture and the food chain should tackle right now
In 2026, the world's food-waste cost is projected to reach 540 billion dollars. This is up from 526 billion dollars the previous year, and if this continues, cumulative losses for 2025–2030 will reach 3.4 trillion dollars. This figure, reported by New Food Magazine based on expert analysis, relates to the UN SDGs' Goal 12... -
MAFF Announces the April 2026 Vegetable Price Outlook—Cabbage and Lettuce Down Year-on-Year, Potatoes and Onions Remain High
On March 31, 2026, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries published the April growth conditions and price outlook for vegetables destined for the Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market. With rainfall and rising temperatures since late February, the growth of many leafy vegetables has recovered, and cabbage and lettuce are expected to see supply slightly above average and prices fall year-on-year. On the other hand, last summer's... -
Ministry of the Environment Announces FY2023 Food Loss at 4.64 Million Tons—An 80,000-Ton Reduction Year-on-Year, but Still Halfway to the 2030 Target
The Ministry of the Environment announced that food loss generated within Japan in FY2023 (fiscal 2023) was about 4.64 million tons. This is an 80,000-ton reduction from the previous fiscal year (FY2022) figure of about 4.72 million tons, and a steady improving trend continues. However, reaching the government's FY2030 target still requires a large... -
Too Good To Go, the Domestic Supermarket Industry's First Adoption—Starting at 2 Super Value Stores in Tokyo, Reducing Prepared-Food Loss at Up to 50% Off
The Denmark-born food-loss-reduction app "Too Good To Go" was adopted on March 26, 2026, at stores of Super Value (operated by OIC Group), the first domestic supermarket chain to do so. The service starts first at two stores in Tokyo, Super Value Suginami Takaido and Todoroki... -
JA Kumamoto Keizairen Regenerates Blemished Vegetables into Washi Lights—"Tomoru Oyasai" Starts Crowdfunding on Makuake Today
On March 30, 2026, JA Kumamoto Keizairen (Kumamoto Prefecture Economic Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives) started crowdfunding on Makuake for "Tomoru Oyasai," which regenerates blemished vegetables (tomato, eggplant) that can't be shipped or eaten into poster lights with washi shades. The JA Keizairen originally... -
Onions at the Keihin Market Turn Toward a Price Decline as Saga-Grown Supply Increases—After a 2025 Poor Harvest Surged to 159% of Average, Reading the Downward Trend from April Onward
According to the vegetable outlook in the Japan Agricultural News (dated March 29, 2026), the onion market at the Keihin Market is expected to turn to a downward trend. High prices have continued for a long time, but as shipment volumes of Saga Prefecture-grown onions increase, supply and demand ease, shifting toward a phase where the price level settles. Food processi... -
Consumer Affairs Agency Begins Operating a Food Bank Certification System from April 1—Reducing Loss by Raising the Reliability of Food Donations in Partnership with MAFF
From April 1, 2026, the Consumer Affairs Agency, in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, begins operating a food bank certification system. By certifying food bank organizations that manage food appropriately and meet the compliance items of the "Food Donation Guidelines," it promotes donations from food manufacturers and retailers, reducing food loss... -
Vegetable Shortage Among Those in Their 20s Is 100g Below Target — The Answer Shown by the Solution Idea Contest 2026 and Dried Vegetables
The vegetable-intake target set by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is 350g per day. But the average intake among those in their 20s remains at about 256g, a reality about 100g short of the target. From March 2, 2026, recruitment began for the 2nd "Vegetable-Shortage Solution Idea Contest 2026 for Those in Their 20s," launching a new effort to increase vegetable intake among the young... -
The Consumer Affairs Agency approves the second food loss reduction policy in a Cabinet decision—raising the 2030 target from 50% to 60%, for an additional 200,000-ton reduction
Cabbage Stays High at 149 yen/kg in Late March—Amid Continued Price Instability of Spring Vegetables, Why the "Stability" of Dried Vegetables Draws Attention -
In late March 2026, cabbage stayed high at 149 yen/kg at the Nagoya market. Against the backdrop of price instability of spring vegetables amid continued poor weather, the strengths of dried vegetables—stable supply, long-term storage, and avoiding price-fluctuation risk—are drawing renewed attention.
In June 2025, the Ministry of the Environment published FY2023 (fiscal 2023) food loss generation. The total was about 4.64 million tons, down 80,000 tons from the previous fiscal year (4.72 million tons), setting a new record low since estimation began. Business-related was about 2.31 million tons and household-related about 2.33 million tons, with business-related falling below household-related for the first time. Reduc... -
Upvege, Which Powders Off-Spec Vegetables, Points to a New Trend in Upcycling
In October 2025, Green Ace Co., Ltd. officially launched the upcycled food brand "upvege." Using its proprietary powdering technology, it transforms "unused vegetables"—those that didn't reach the market because their shape or size didn't meet standards—into high-value-added products with their color, aroma, and nutrition intact... -
Outstanding Health & Productivity Management Organizations 2026 Expand to 26,850 Organizations | Why Food Became the Most Important Theme
On March 9, 2026, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced the certified organizations for "Outstanding Health & Productivity Management Organizations 2026." A total of 26,850 organizations were certified—3,765 in the large-enterprise category and 23,085 in the small- and medium-enterprise category. This was an increase of 3,654 in total from the previous year (3,400 large, 19,796 SME), and since the system began... -
Food loss at 4.64 million tons, a record low | Business-related loss falls below household-related for the first time
AEON-Born Sustainable Chocolate | Achieving Cacao-Free with Sunflower Seeds -
Cacao, the raw material for chocolate, faces supply anxiety due to climate change. Amid this, AEON has been selling the chocolate alternative "Choco ka?" using sunflower seeds since 2025, drawing attention as a sustainable-food rollout at a major distributor. AEON's cacao-free ch...
March 25, 2026 -
The off-spec vegetable delivery service "LossHeru" partnered with Japan Post to begin selling at post offices nationwide. The familiar post office is becoming a new point of contact for reducing food loss. Japan Post Becomes a Channel for Off-Spec Vegetables. On January 19, 2026, the off-spec vegetable delivery service operated by Ekunes Inc...
The FY2023 (fiscal 2023) food loss estimate published by the Ministry of the Environment was 4.64 million tons, a new record low since statistics began. But what deserves attention beyond the figure is the change in the breakdown. Business-related (companies, restaurants, etc.) food loss was 2.31 million tons, falling below household-related (2.33 million tons) for the first time... -
Food loss at 4.64 million tons, a record low | Business-related loss falls below household-related for the first time
FamilyMart × Food-Loss App Cuts Waste 5% | Convenience Stores Move -
Outstanding Health & Productivity Management Organizations Top 10,000 Companies | Why Food Became the Most Important Theme
The number of companies certified as "Outstanding Health & Productivity Management Organizations" for fiscal 2026 topped 10,000 for the first time. Amid the continued expansion of certifications combining the large-enterprise and SME categories, what draws attention is "food measures." As a pillar alongside exercise habits and mental care, vegetable intake and nutritional improvement have the broadest reach to employees... -
On January 28, 2026, FamilyMart announced a partnership with "Too Good To Go," an app with a cumulative food-loss-reduction record of over 500 million meals worldwide. It began pilot operation at 6 Tokyo stores in the Ikebukuro, Komazawa University, and Aoyama areas, succeeding in reducing waste by about 5%...
Upcycled Foods Expand | The New Value of Off-Spec Vegetables -
In the food industry, the "upcycling" movement is accelerating. Efforts to use off-spec vegetables and manufacturing by-products not as "waste" but as "valuable ingredients" are drawing attention as part of sustainability management. A movement facing the 4.64-million-ton food-loss challenge. Environ...
We Were Featured on MAFF's "Nippon Food Shift" Suste-Nabe Page -
Vegetable Shortage Among Japanese People Widens | The Reality of Not Reaching the 350g Target
The vegetable-intake target set by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is 350g per day. But according to the latest National Health and Nutrition Survey, the average intake among Japanese people remains at about 280g, continuing to hover at about 80% of the target. How to fill this "70g wall" has become a new theme for the food industry. Across all age groups... -
The Freeze-Dried Vegetable Market Grows 8.7% Annually | The Background of Its Expansion
The global freeze-dried vegetable market is rapidly growing. The 2026 market size will reach about 9 billion dollars, and the vegetable segment in particular shows high growth at a CAGR of 8.7%. The attention on dried vegetables, which achieve both health-consciousness and convenience, supports this growth. Why freeze-dried vegetables are growing...
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