Where do you currently sell WAKODO products?
Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Mongolia, and China (cross-border e-commerce).
Do you also sell products except WAKODO (confectionery, freeze-dried food, etc.) overseas?
WAKODO products make up the majority of the products we currently sell overseas.
Can I sell, or import, Asahi Group Foods products?
We only sell products that comply with the food-related laws and regulations of the country concerned. In addition to looking at whether the products to be sold comply with local laws and regulations, we also consider each case comprehensively from a variety of angles.
Are WAKODO products sold in areas other than Asia? Do you have plans to do so?
We don't currently sell WAKODO products outside Asia. Our core focus regions are East Asia and Southeast Asia. We intend to expand sales of WAKODO products beyond Asia in the future.
Are the infant formula products sold outside Japan the same as those sold in Japan?
To ensure compliance with the laws and food standards of each country where they are sold, infant formula products for overseas markets are developed in accordance with international "Codex Alimentarius" food standards. Infant formula developed to comply with Japanese laws and regulations is only sold within Japan.
Yeast Products
What kinds of food products can yeast extract be used in?
We produce an extensive range of yeast extract products suitable for use in all food product types. We also have yeast extract products that are suited for use in a variety of other fields such as biotechnology, cosmetics, pet food, and so on.
What uses for yeast extract are currently garnering particular attention?
Our yeast extract is attracting attention for its use in masking the soy protein odor of plant-based meat substitutes and to enhance their flavor.
What strain of yeast do you produce.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a baker's yeast.
What culturing material do you use to produce your yeast?
We use molasses, a byproduct of the sugar refining process.
How are products in the Yeastock HG series labeled?
HG-PdD20 is labeled "yeast extract, dextrin", and HG-Ps is labeled "yeast extract".
Where is it produced?
In the Republic of Serbia.
Could you provide some examples of how your yeast products are used and the kinds of products they're used in?
They're used in all manner of processed food products such as soup, snack foods, soft drinks, alcohol beverages, cookies, and ice cream.
When proposing applications for HG series products to customers, what percentage of the composition of the final product do you recommend?
It depends on the application in question, but we generally recommend a percentage between 0.05% and 0.2% in products at the point of consumption.
How is it that you can produce yeast extract with such high glutamic acid content? Do you add glutamic acid to the culture medium?
We don't add any glutamic acid. We are able to achieve such high glutamic acid content by drawing on the knowhow the Asahi Group has built up through more than a century of beer brewing and unique methods that we have developed to prevent loss of glutamic acid during the production process.
What certification has the plant in Serbia acquired?
Certification the plant has acquired includes HACCP, Kosher, Halal, ISO14001, BRC, and FSSC22000.
Do you provide certification showing that animal-derived ingredients are not used in the products?
Yeastock products do not include any animal-derived ingredients, so we are able to issue certificates to customers who request them.
Functional Ingredients: L-92
What is L-92 lactic acid bacteria?
It is a strain of lactobacillus acidophilus that provides superior health benefits, which we selected after many long years of lactic acid bacteria research*1.
What is the official name of L-92 lactic acid bacteria?
Lactobacillus acidophilus L-92.
Does it contain any allergenic substances?
It does not contain any of the 28 allergens specified under Japan's Food Labeling Act. Namely, milk, eggs, wheat, buckwheat, peanuts, shrimp/prawns, crab, abalone, squid, salmon roe, oranges, kiwifruit, beef, walnuts, salmon, mackerel, soybeans, chicken, bananas, pork, matsutake mushrooms, peaches, yams, apples, gelatin, cashew nuts, sesame seeds, and almonds*1.
*1 Quoted from the following Allercare webpage:
https://www.calpis-shop.jp/products/l92_tab.html
Has L-92 won any awards?
It won "Best Functional Ingredient" at the 18th annual NutrAward ceremony held at the NutraCon trade conference in the United States in 2016.
Where is it produced?
It's produced in Japan.
Functional Ingredients: AmealPeptide
What is AmealPeptide made from?
It is made from proteins contained in milk.
What are lactotripeptides?
We refer to the health-promoting ingredients valine-proline-proline (VPP) and isoleucine-proline-proline (IPP) contained in AmealPeptide collectively as lactotripeptides.
Has AmealPeptide won any awards?
In 2001 it won an Industrial Achievement Award from the Institute of Food Technologists in the United States, and a Food Ingredient Research Award at the Food Ingredients Europe trade show.
Does it contain any allergens?
It contains milk products, one of the 28 allergens specified under Japan's Food Labeling Act. It does not contain any of the other specified allergens, namely, eggs, wheat, buckwheat, peanuts, shrimp/prawns, crab, abalone, squid, salmon roe, oranges, kiwifruit, beef, walnuts, salmon, mackerel, soybeans, chicken, bananas, pork, matsutake mushrooms, peaches, yams, apples, gelatin, cashew nuts, sesame seeds, and almonds*2.
*2 Quoted from the following Lactowell webpage:
https://www.calpis-shop.jp/products/lactowell.html/
Where is it produced?
It is produced in New Zealand.
Please proceed for further inquiry.
