Welcome back to Foodtech EYES where we deliver the latest global food innovation news and community updates from UnlocX.

It's the end of the fiscal year, and with the warmer days, it truly feels like spring is upon us. We are excited to announce that tickets for the "Foodtech Venture Day NEO" event, scheduled for April 11, are now available. The theme for this year is "Japanese Tradition × Technology." Eleven companies will present, covering topics from fermentation, rice, miso, soy sauce, wasabi, konjac, to robotics. There will also be exhibitions and tastings, so we encourage you to join us in person! 

Additionally, on March 18, my book "The Future of Food Transformed by Foodtech" (PHP Shinsho, Japanese only) will be released. This book explores various scenarios for the future of food and provides an updated overview of the current state of food technology. I hope you will find it insightful.

The major news in this issue is the acquisition of SEIYU by TRIAL Holdings, a leading discount retailer from Fukuoka. TRIAL Holdings has been at the forefront of digital transformation (DX) in the retail industry, and this acquisition allows them to establish a presence in central Tokyo, where they previously had limited reach. This move represents a case of an emerging retailer acquiring a general merchandise store, signaling ongoing consolidation in the retail sector. 

In international news, Nestlé and Givaudan have partnered with the FoodHack community to launch the FoodTech World Cup 2025. This competition seeks startups focusing on six themes related to nutrition, including longevity and immunity. The selection of these themes indicates how overseas players are rapidly addressing the growing interest in GLP-1-related developments.

Now, let’s dive into this week’s edition of Foodtech EYES! Be sure to check out all of the curated articles selected by our editorial team. 

This edition is an English  translation of the original Foodtech Eyes in Japanese published on March XX, 2025.

This email is being sent to newsletter subscribers as well as those who have connected with UnlocX in the past. 

To unsubscribe, please see below. 

RECENT FOOD INNOVATION ARTICLES

<Market Overview>

Over the past five years, the number of new food products has decreased by 20%, with 90% of product categories experiencing a decline.

NIKKEI,2025/3/9

#🇯🇵IncreasedProductionCosts #IncreasedLogisticsCosts #Kewpie #Nippun #MorinagaMilk

Trump Tariffs Flip-Flop Right After Implementation, Leaving Industries in Turmoil

NIKKEI,2025/3/7

#🇺🇸Trump Tariffs in Turmoil #Walmart Sales Growth Slows

What Is Food Tech For? Three Key Perspectives for Chefs Aiming for the Global Stage

The Cuisine Magazine,2025/3/10

#SKSJAPAN  #Sea vegetable company  #San-J  #Fermentation #Fujiwara Techno-Art #KITA-SANRIKU FACTORY #Oisix Ra Daichi #MUFG #BCC

<Future Food>

CHAGEE goes Public in the U.S. Market

NIKKEI,2025/3/10

#Chinese Tea #China's Beverage IPO Boom

Beyond Meat Exits China

NIKKEI,2025/3/3

#Declining Demand for Plant-Based Meat #Sales Peaked in 2021

Severe Egg Shortage Sparks Hen Rental Trend

NIKKEI,2025/3/3

#Avian Influenza #More People Raising Backyard Chickens #🐓

Danone’s focus on weight loss, diabetes pays off in FY2024

NutraIngredients,2025/2/27

#🇫🇷Danonne #Activia #Plant-based

Forget meat versus plant-based, is hybrid meat the real future?

FoodNavigator, 2025/2/27

#🇬🇧Quorn, #🇺🇸Applegate #Hybrid sausages

<FutureRetail & Restaurant>

SEIYU Acquired by TRIAL HD for 382.6 Billion Yen

NIKKEI, 2025/3/6

#Trial Surpasses Lawson #DX in retail #Expanding into the Tokyo Metropolitan Area

McDonald’s Gives Its Restaurants an AI Makeover

WSJ、2025/3/5

#🍟 #Order accuracy #AI formaintenance problem

<Future Kitchen>

11 Small Smart Kitchen Appliances That Are Actually Worth It

TastingTable,2025/3/10

#Smart connectivity #Voice commands

The High-Tech Kitchen Appliance Trend That's Dominating For 2025

housedigest,2025/3/9

#Smarthome market #Personalized cooking experience

<Food × AI>

AI Technology for Instant Cattle Health Assessment

NIKKEI,2025/3/9

#SeikoEpson #LivestockTransformation #🐄MilkProductionEfficiency

AI-Powered Vision Enhances Young Sprout Production

NIKKEI,2025/3/5

#MurakamiFarm #FactoryFarming #AIGrowingTech #YouTubeUtilization

Exclusive: AI-powered plant breeding startup Avalo raises $11m, partners with Coca Cola to future proof sugarcane production

AgFunder, 2025/3/6

#🇺🇸Avalo #AI-powered plant #Genetics #GWAS(genome wide association study) # GDIP(Gene Discovery by Informationless Perturbation) #Climate resilient sugarcane

Yaskawa Electric Uses AI Robots for Strawberry Packing, Expanding Beyond China

NIKKEI,2025/3/12

#NVIDIA #TestingwithJAZen-Noh

China’s new 3D printer employs graphene, AI to build and cook food simultaneously

INTERESTING ENGINEERING, 2025/3/8

#food safety #less power consumption

<Agriculture>

Kesennuma City Promotes Land-Based Aquaculture

NIKKEI, 2025/3/9

#NTTEast #NTTGreen&Food #PostDisasterReconstruction

"Marine Eco-Labels" Still Have a Long Way to Go

NIKKEI, 2025/3/3

#MarineEcoLabelJapan #UnclearCostEffectivenessofCertification 

Kagome and Rock Field Form Business Alliance for Joint Vegetable Procurement

NIKKEI, 2025/3/3

#CostReduction #StableSupply #MutualCustomerReferral

<Sustainability & Regeneration>

Nippon Ham Utilizes Pig Teeth for Bone Regeneration

NIKKEI, 2025/3/3

#HokkaidoUniversityStartup #DeVine #ExploringApplicationsBeyondFood

ASTRA FOOD PLAN Expands into Household Market with Onion Scrap Upcycled Powder ‘Tamanegi Guluriko’

Japan Food Journal Digital Edition, 2025/3/5

#Upcycling #ExpandingSalesChannels #HiddenFoodLoss

ReFED’s Sara Burnett: ‘GLP-1 Drugs & AI Will Have Profound Impacts on US Food Waste’

greenqueen,2025/2/28

#Households the largest chunk of food waste #Food rescue system

<Local Food System>

Chef Maoko Miura Explores Saga’s Culinary Culture in "Chef-in-Residence SAGA" (Part 1)｜A Journey to the Roots of Food

Discover Japan,2025/3/7

#LocalGastronomy #ChefInResidence #Saga

<Partnerships & Ecosystems>

FoodTech World Cup 2025: Nestlé & Givaudan Back Global Accelerator for Future Nutrition Startups

green queen, 2025/3/7

#Differentiating nutritious solutions #Gut wellness #GLP-1 #FoodHack

Inside L’Oréal Longevity Integrative Science & Time Line partnership

NutraIngredients,2025/2/26

#Skincare #L’Oreal, #TimeLine #IntegratingBeauty&Health, #FoodHabitMatters

<Food for Well-Being>

FDA Commissioner Nominee Says He’ll Focus on Food and Health

Civileats,2025/3/6

#gut microbiome,#Make America Healthy Again campaign,#School lunch

Gut microbes revealed as tiny mental health champions

Food Navigator, 2025/2/27

#Controlling anxiety #probiotics in food

Inspiring Children's Future Through Food! Taste Link Launches "Taste for Kids – Food & Future Project" with Michelin-Starred Chefs and Top Restaurants

TasteLink,2025/2/27

#UnderstandingTheFoodIndustry #UnlockingChefPotential

Kirin Aims for Asian Dominance in Health & Beauty, Leveraging FANCL

NIKKEI, 2025/3/5

#HealthScience #APACMarket

<Eaters & Eating Behavior Trend>

How BGM Tempo Influences Purchasing Decisions

NIKKEI, 2025/3/5

#InStoreBGM #MoralConsumptionAndSound

Information from the SKS JAPAN Community

Here is the latest news from the SKS community.  

【PROGRAM】 Academic Insights: The Intellectual History of American Dynamism – A Lecture Series Unpacking the "Deep Layers" of a Transforming America through Political Science, Philosophy, Religious Studies, and Intellectual History

[7 Sessions Starting April 10] (Hosted by De-silo)

On January 20, 2025, the second Donald Trump administration was inaugurated. From day one, actions such as withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, implementing an "America First" trade policy, and deploying troops to the border for immigration control signaled dynamic shifts in U.S. society and politics.Often described as an "experimental nation," the U.S. has seen a decline in the influence of mainstream factions in both the Democratic and Republican parties, leading to a more pronounced pendulum swing between left- and right-wing populism.How has America evolved since its founding? What fundamental principles, values, and ideological or religious foundations shape its actions? This lecture series, featuring experts from various fields—including politics, religion, philosophy, and intellectual history—aims to deepen our understanding of America's current state and future trajectory. (From the official website)

Click here for more details

【EVENT】Fermentation and Koji: Insights from the Essence of Japanese Food Culture (April 29th)
This event, held in Okayama, will feature a dialogue and workshop with guests Hiraku Ogura, a fermentation designer, and Mr. Nakaji, representative of Koji no Gakko Co., Ltd. The themes will include the potential of fermentation and koji, the uniqueness of Japanese food culture, and how the fusion of tradition and technology can be utilized in the future.

Click here for more detailes

【BOOK】How to Feed the World
A groundbreaking analysis of global food production and consumption, revealing how scientists are exploring ways to feed a growing population without destroying the planet. Endorsed by Bill Gates!

Click here for more details

See you in the next Foodtech EYES! 

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Distributor / Sender

UnlocX Corporation (UnlocX & Co.)

https://unlocx.tech/en/

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Inquiry

foodtech_eyes@unlocx.tech

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Subscribe

If you would like to subscribe with a different e-mail address, please click the URL below.

Click the link below to subscribe.

*Please share the link with your colleagues and friends.

https://forms.zohopublic.jp/unlocx/form/FoodtechEyesSubscriptionForm/formperma/xQbNd5gBK8k4crrvrZc8ruhQufLEGnWqPw4ulAo08do

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Unsubscribe

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━