”Chocolate made from crickets”... Japan has become an emerging force in the food tech field - Korean media

The food tech industry is attracting attention as an industry that can solve the world's food problems. Japan, which was late in the food tech field, has recently seen rapid market growth through cooperation between the government and private sector.
According to the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), global investment in food tech is expected to reach $53.2 billion by 2022.
The report found that China and the US are the main investors, with alternative protein and cell culture technologies in particular attracting strong interest from investors.
Japan has been relatively late in the food tech field, but in 2020 the Japanese government and
A private-public council has been launched to promote cooperation between the private sector, and the initiative is developing rapidly by leveraging the synergy effects of government policy support and technological development within the industry.
Japan has announced the "Food Tech Vision" led by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
We will support research on the development of alternative proteins and cell-cultured foods, build distribution systems using AI and upcycling technologies for non-standard agricultural products, and promote agricultural innovation using AI and robots.
The company is promoting the improvement of industrial productivity and the provision of functional foods made to order based on personal health data. Among these, alternative proteins are expected to be environmentally and economically viable options compared to the livestock industry.
Gryllus is a company that uses edible crickets to make protein bars and chocolates.
Insect protein is not only high in protein, but also emits about one-hundredth of the greenhouse gases that beef production produces, making it an efficient source of protein.
DAIZ has developed a plant-based meat product using soybean germination technology. The germination process maximizes protein content and flavor, improving the taste and texture that were previously limited in plant-based meat products.
The company's flagship product, plant-based meat "Miracle Meat," is recognized as a product that meets all the criteria for health and sustainability.
Cell-cultured foods are made by cultivating animal cells outside the body to produce the same proteins as meat.
This technology will reduce the environmental burden of the livestock industry and make it possible to build a sustainable protein supply system. Cell-cultured foods have been expanding into various industrial fields in Japan in recent years and are attracting attention.
Integriculture has developed a proprietary cell culture system that enables cost-effective production of cell-cultured foods.
A representative example is a cosmetic product made using purified culture fluid of egg yolk membrane cells, called "Cerament," which is sold exclusively at beauty clinics.
There are products for this purpose. In line with the increasing demand for cosmetic medicine in Japan, it is attracting attention as a sustainable raw material alternative technology. Smart agriculture is a technology that uses AI, robotics, and IoT technology to improve agricultural production.
It is attracting attention as an innovative system that maximizes productivity and minimizes waste of resources. Japan is proactively introducing cutting-edge technology and leading innovation in the agricultural sector. TechMagic
agic has developed an AI cooking robot that is helping to improve productivity and reduce costs in the food service industry. This cooking robot can automatically cook a variety of dishes, including pasta and fried rice.
This will reduce labor costs and food waste, and is seen as a solution to Japan's labor shortage problem caused by a declining birthrate and aging population.
A KOTRA official said, "Korean companies can refer to Japan's strategies and examples to advance the fields of alternative proteins and cell culture technology.
"We should explore cooperation opportunities with China and introduce innovative technologies such as food waste reduction and upcycling to enhance the competitiveness of the domestic food tech industry," he said.