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


First, a quick announcement:On May 29, we will be hosting the first-ever Hokkaido Food Innovation Summit in Kitahiroshima, Hokkaido. The event page is now live! We’ll be sharing more details soon, so stay tuned!


In this issue, we’re featuring an article on “Space performance” appliances—compact yet high-performing home appliances. As many people embark on a new chapter in their lives this season, the demand for small appliances is growing, especially among younger generations, amid rising rental costs. At the same time, AI-powered appliances from overseas are making their way into the Japanese market, signaling an even greater push toward efficiency in home kitchens.


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 April 1, 2025.

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RECENT FOOD INNOVATION ARTICLES


<Market Overview>

Concerns Over Food Supply Routes Being Blocked

Nikkei, 2025/3/18 (JP)

#FoodSupplyChain #EmergencyFoodProcurement


Turkish Company Takes Another Shot at Japanese Cuisine

Nikkei, 2025/3/14 (JP)

#🇹🇷Dardanel #JapaneseFoodBoominTurkey


<Future Food>

Unilever to Sell Plant-Based Meat Brand The Vegetarian Butcher to JBS-Owned Vivera

greenqueen, 2025/3/21 (EN)

#plant-basedmeat #GrowthActionPlan2030 #downturnofplant-basedfood


The Biased Science That Fuelled Italian Farmers’ Anti-Cultivated-Meat March

greenqueen, 2025/3/25  (EN)

#🇮🇹Coldiretti #NovelFood #FoodSafetyStandards


Shelf-Stable Complete Nutrition Food "Onimochi" Officially Launched. A single serving provides complete nutrition and boasts a one-year shelf life.

Vitom Press Release (JP)

#vitom #Onimochi #CompleteNutrition #TimeEfficiency #ShelfStableTech #RitsumeikanUniversity #IndustryAcademiaCollaboration

NotCo Uses AI to Create GLP-1 Booster as a 'Natural Ozempic Alternative'
greenqueen, 2025/3/17  (EN)
#Food×AI #NaturalOzempicAlternative #OzempicRebound

3 Key Takeaways From Natural Products Expo West
The Food Institute, 2025/3/7  (EN)
#GLP-1 #Children’sNutrition #DiverseValueOfFood

No New Sake Brewing Licenses Issued in 70 Years
Nikkei, 2025/3/17 (JP)
#InatoAgave #CraftSAKE #FutureofSAKE

Meiji Introduces Proprietary Loyalty Points, Redeemable In-Store
Nikkei, 2025/3/14 (JP)
#UnifiedMembershipManagement #LTVEnhancement

Asahi Group Acquires German Brewer’s Yeast Manufacturer
Nikkei, 2025/3/14 (JP)
#🇩🇪Leiber #HealthFoods #SeasoningIngredients

<FutureRetail & Restaurant>
No More “What Should I Eat?” Dilemmas! “Nanitabe” Officially launches!
MENUCOMPANY Press Release, 2025/3/14 (JP)
#Nanitabe #MENUCOMPANY #MenuSearchApp #FoodieExperience #RestaurantDX #GourmetTech

SHARE DINE Launches AI LAB to Transform the Future of the Food Industry
Share Dine Press Release, 2025/3/18(JP)
#ShareDine #AILAB #WorkStyleReformInFoodIndustry #AIMatching

Less Robots, More Meat: Chipotle Founder’s Big Pivot
The Spoon, 2025/3/19  (EN)
#Chipotle #Kernel #RestaurantTech #RobotPhaseout #🇺🇸

LEOC Adopts “Eco-Friendly Rice” in Corporate Cafeterias, Cutting Methane Emissions by 30%
Nikkei, 2025/3/24 (JP)
#FarmPartnership #JCreditSystem

<Future Kitchen>
Compact “Space performance” Appliances Take Center Stage in New Life
Nikkei, 2025/3/27 (JP)
#Space-SavingAppliances #IrisOhyama #PanasonicHoldings #AeonRetail #HaierJapanSales #AQUA #LIFULL #CompactHousingTrend

Smart Tea Infuser “Teforia” Comes Back From the Dead Seven Years After Shutting Down
The Spoon, 2025/3/18  (EN)
#Teforia #SmartTeaInfuser #Revival #🇺🇸

Xiaomi to Open 5-10 “Smartphone + Home Appliance” Stores in Japan by Year-End
Nikkei, 2025/3/18 (JP)
#SmartHome #FirstStoreAeonMallUrawaMisono

Haier to Introduce IoT-Enabled Home Appliances in Japan
Nikkei, 2025/3/12 (JP)
#High-GradeAirConditioners #AI-PoweredHomeAppliances

<Food × AI>
FarmWise AI-Powered Weeding Tech ‘Commercially Ready’ Despite Company Restructuring and Wind Down
AgFunder News, 2025/3/12  (EN)
#Agrobotics #OngoingLaborChallenges

Lumi AI nets $3.7m to expand conversational analytics platform
AgFunder News, 2025/3/25  (EN)
#EnterpriseDataAnalytics #SAP #Oracle #Microsoft #On-ShelfAvailabilityInGroceryStores

The Spoon Discusses the Current State of AI Workflows With AI for Humans’ Gavin Purcell
The Spoon, 2025/3/21  (EN)
#AIWorkflows #Interview

<Agriculture>
Oishii Acquires Tortuga AgTech's IP, Assets, and Engineering Team
AgFunder News, 2025/3/24  (EN)
#HarvestRobotics #YaskawaRobotics

Ghana in Turmoil: “Gold Over Cocoa”
Nikkei, 2025/3/18 (JP)
#CocoaProductionCollapse

Yellowtail, Squid, and Mackerel: Catch Limits Introduced to Build a More Profitable Fishing Industry
Nikkei, 2025/3/18 (JP)
#MarineResourceRecovery #NorwayLeadingTheWay

<Sustainability & Regeneration>
Unpacking the Truth: Why Sustainable Packaging Isn’t as Easy as It Seems
Market Shake by GourmetPro, 2025/3/18  (EN)
#ToyoSeikan #AIinPackage #PlasticWasteSolution

Insurance Companies Cover Costs of Reselling Surplus Food to Reduce Waste
Nikkei, 2025/3/23 (JP)
#FoodLossInsurance #ContainerAccidentPrevention #MitsuiSumitomoInsurance #AioiNissayDowa #SompoJapan #TokioMarine

“Would People Buy Just Because It’s Cheap?” Consumers Spent More on Bread Than Rice for 15 Years, But Now Complain About Rising Prices (by Rumi Ide)
Yahoo! News Expert, 2025/3/23 (JP)
#FoodLoss #FoodWaste #MediaHype #LeftoverEhomaki

<Local Food System>

Entering the Low-Temperature Distilled Sake Market: Noto’s Toriyashuzo Partners with Hiroshima Startup for “Jochu”

Nikkei, 2025/3/20 (JP)

#ExpandingOverseas #NotoBeyondRecoveryFund #Naorai


<Partnerships & Ecosystems>
Oisix Builds Food Business Ecosystem in Niigata, Japan’s Rice Heartland
Nikkei, 2025/03/20 (JP)
#NiigataFoodTechTown #FutureFoodFund

Kering Scouts Japanese Startups
Nikkei, 2025/03/24 (JP)
#SustainabilityTechAwards #FermentStation

MiL, Developer of Baby Food Brand "the kindest," Secures ¥500M Investment from Kewpie
BRIDGE, 2025/03/14 (JP)
#MiL #Kewpie #FirstMeals #TasteDevelopment

South Korea Pumps $10M in Regional Lab-Grown Meat Research Hub
greenqueen, 2025/03/14  (EN)
#Cell-CulturedFoodCenter #UiseongBioValley #PublicInvestment

<Food for Well-Being>

Not Giving Up Despite Dementia (Part 3): Assistive Tech Brings Back the Joy of Shopping

Nikkei, 2025/03/13 (JP)

#LIMNO #KAERU




Information from the SKS JAPAN Community



Here is the latest news from the SKS community.  






【EVENT】Sustainable Food Night #26 – “Innovating for FIVE WIN: A Sugar-Free Sweetener Made with Rice Koji Fermentation” (May 20)
For the 26th edition of Sustainable Food Night, we are excited to welcome Yasuhide Koizumi, CEO of ORYZAE Inc., as our guest speaker. This event will feature a talk session and tasting networking party under the theme: “Innovating for FIVE WIN: A Sugar-Free Sweetener Made with Rice Koji Fermentation”.ORYZAE Inc. was founded with the concept of supporting health and beauty from within, leveraging Japan’s globally renowned fermentation culture—koji. This year marks the 5th anniversary of the brand’s launch. Their flagship product, the sugar-free “Rice Koji Granola,” has sold over 1.5 million servings and is available at more than 50 stores nationwide, including major department stores and commercial facilities.Last September, ORYZAE also opened its first flagship store, "ORYZAE SHOP TOKYO," in Nakameguro, Tokyo!(From the official website)


Click here for more details

【EVENT】Hokkaido Food Innovation Summit (May 29)
The Hokkaido Food Innovation Summit is a collaborative initiative by MUFG Bank, Fighters Sports & Entertainment, and UnlocX. Held at Hokkaido Ballpark F Village, this event will bring together leading practitioners and experts from Hokkaido and across Japan to engage in discussions and actions aimed at continuous value creation in the food industry.

Click here for more details


【EVENT】SKS Returns in 2025 With Global Virtual Summit
SKS 2025, hosted by The Spoon, is set to take place in July 2025! The event will run for two weeks, with daily programs of up to 2 hours, featuring discussions, product showcases, and trend analysis shaping the future of food and cooking.Registration is now open! Don’t miss out on this exciting event.


Click here for more details

📢 New Episode of "Tokyo Regenerative Food Lab" Now Available!
The latest episode of the podcast "Tokyo Regenerative Food Lab", produced in collaboration with WIRED Japan, is now live! In Episode 16, we welcome Chihiro Kano, the founder of ASTRA FOOD PLAN, as our guest. The company won both the FVD Award and the Tokyo Regenerative Food Lab Award at the Food Tech Venture Day NEO last December. In this episode, we dive deep into the company’s background, technology, and future prospects.

Click here for more details 


【COMMUNITY NEWS】"Shikoku 4 Prefectures Food Tech Case Study"
The Shikoku Bureau of Economy, Trade, and Industry has compiled a "Shikoku 4 Prefectures Food Tech Case Study," showcasing companies in the region engaged in food tech innovations. This report highlights the use of Shikoku's food branding and technological strengths to create new innovations. It introduces examples of regional companies' efforts, including their strategies for intellectual property and their future activities. 


Click here for more details


【CROWDFUNDING】VERTERE: Beer Brewing Project Using Regenerated Hops ("Hop Gururiko")
This crowdfunding project focuses on brewing beer using regenerated hops, known as "Hop Gururiko," created by upcycling used hops. The project also utilizes many plant-based residues produced during the brewing process, such as malt and hop pomace. Currently seeking support through crowdfunding, this initiative is an exciting example of sustainable brewing.


Click here for more details  



【BOOK】"Kankei Jinko: Living Simultaneously in Cities and Rural Areas"
Takahashi Hiroyuki, from Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture, is the man behind the concept of "Kankei Jinko" (relationship population), which has become a symbol of rural revitalization. As the founder of Tohoku Taberu Tsushin, a food information magazine, and Pocket Marche, a direct-to-consumer app connecting producers and consumers, he has worked to bridge urban and rural communities. Takahashi's advocacy for "Kankei Jinko" was groundbreaking, and his work eventually led to his company’s listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. This book reflects his deep insights and passion for revitalizing Japan’s rural areas, exploring how this concept could offer solutions to both urban and rural challenges.

Click here for more details 




See you in the next Foodtech EYES! 


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