[ASTRA FOOD PLAN Co., Ltd.] ASTRA FOOD PLAN, which tackles hidden food loss, receives the “Glitter Industrial Technology Award from Nine Capitals, Prefectures and Cities”
ASTRA FOOD PLAN Co., Ltd. Press release: October 28, 2024 ASTRA FOOD PLAN, which tackles hidden food loss, receives the “Nine Capitals, Prefectures and Cities’ Shining Industrial Technology Award”
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Representative Director: Chihiro Kano; hereinafter referred to as ASTRA FOOD PLAN), a food tech venture whose mission is to “realize a sustainable society,” has received a We are pleased to announce that we have received the “Glitter Industrial Technology Award from Nine Capitals, Prefectures, and Cities.” An awards ceremony was held on Monday, October 28, 2024, and certificates of commendation were presented. (*1) Nine Cities Summit Comprised of the governors of Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo, and Kanagawa prefectures, and the mayors of Yokohama, Kawasaki, Chiba, Saitama, and Sagamihara, they work together to address wide-area issues by leveraging their vast shared regional vitality. A meeting aimed at proactively working on things. About “Nine Cities, Prefectures and Cities’ Shining Industrial Technology Awards” Since 2010, the Summit of Nine Prefectures and Cities has been awarding companies active in the nine prefectures and cities and their outstanding technologies as a common asset of the nine prefectures and cities under the “Nine Prefectures and Cities’ Shining Industrial Technology Award.” We are giving awards. ▼About details
https://www.9tokenshi-syunoukaigi.jp/activity/kirari/ Reason for award Last year, our company won the grand prize at the 3rd Sai-no-Kuni SDGs Technology Award, and was selected by Saitama Prefecture because its technology matched the purpose of this award. Press release Received the grand prize at the 3rd “Sainokuni SDGs Technology Award” sponsored by Saitama Prefecture Scene from the award ceremony
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/99210/39/99210-39-04cf8b3aef86c3b2552c3e3c0ea9f7a4-3900×2925.jpg Received a certificate of commendation from Governor Kumagaya of Chiba Prefecture
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/99210/39/99210-39-90fc2d2afb25b94029b60355e1124d55-3900×2925.jpg Introducing our technology to the leaders of prefectures and cities ASTRA FOOD PLAN Co., Ltd. CEO Chihiro Kano’s comment
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/99210/39/99210-39-6f240dd13051b4895737a59e099b36b5-1013×1062.jpg I am very happy and honored to receive this award. We have been receiving support from Saitama Prefecture in a variety of ways, and we are truly glad that we started our business in our hometown of Saitama. We received a patent for the “superheated steamer” in March of this year, and we understand that it has been recognized as an “industrial technology,” but implementation is still a long way off. We believe that it is necessary to create an upcycle market for implementation. We are working on product development and
collaboration with large companies to expand demand for Gururiko (R), which is made from unused resources and powdered using our technology. We will continue to strive to create a society where it is commonplace for food to be used without waste through upcycling. About “Saitama Food Circular Economy Project 2024” We have been selected for the “Saitama Prefecture Circular Economy Business Creation Project Subsidy for 2026” since 2025, and we collaborate with businesses and local governments in Fukaya City, Kuki City, and Fujimi City, and universities in Saitama Prefecture. We are working to reduce hidden food loss in each region and establish a food circulation model. Kuki City is addressing the issue of “expansion of abandoned farmland,” and Fukaya City is promoting initiatives related to countermeasures against “unused parts of agricultural crops.” Press release “Saitama Food Circular Economy Project 2024” has been launched. Collaboration with Fukaya City, Kuki City, and Fujimi City. “ASTRA FOOD PLAN” aiming to build a circular food cycle ASTRA FOOD PLAN is a food tech venture that develops and sells a food drying device “Superheated Steamer” that uses superheated steam technology. The “Superheated Steamer” has achieved high production efficiency and cost performance, so it can be used to process unused agricultural products such as vegetable scraps generated at food factories and substandard products, which previously could not be used effectively due to cost issues. , beverage waste, etc. can be upcycled into high value-added ingredients. By selling the “superheated steamer” to businesses facing the issue of waste food waste, we will also work with food manufacturers to develop applications for the new food ingredient “Gurriko (R)” made with this device. , aims to solve the food loss problem. Approximately 4 times the amount of general food waste. The reality of “hidden food loss” amounting to 20 million tons per year Currently, “food loss,” such as unsold food at convenience stores and mass retailers, which is discarded even though it is edible, is becoming a problem. However, the amount of “food loss” that is generally recognized does not include food waste such as vegetable cores, skins, and stems, and unused agricultural products such as substandard agricultural products and surplus agricultural products generated at the production area. . According to the Ministry of the Environment’s “Estimated amount of food loss in Japan (FY2020)” (*2), food loss in Japan in 2022 is estimated to be approximately 4.72 million tons. The Ministry of Fisheries has compiled the “Utilization status of food waste, etc. (2018 estimate)” (*3), which states that “food-derived waste, etc.” includes inedible parts such as food waste and unused agricultural products. It is known that food loss amounts to 25.31 million tons, making it a major social issue. ASTRA FOOD PLAN calls the 20 million tons (*4) of food waste annually, which is about four times the amount of general food loss, “hidden food loss,” and is working to reduce and upcycle it.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/99210/39/99210-39-50077c88353032d1612565aaa023aa7e-2000×1333.jpg (*2) “Estimated amount of food loss in Japan (FY2020)”
https://www.env.go.jp/press/press_03332.html (※3) Consumer Affairs Agency “Learn about food loss”
https://www.caa.go.jp/policies/policy/consumer_policy/information/food_loss/education/ (※4) “20 million tons of hidden food loss per year” = “25.31 million tons (food-derived waste, etc.)” – “Approximately 5.7 million tons (food loss that is discarded even though it is edible)” About “Gurriko (R)” It is a general term for food powder made by drying and upcycling ingredients that would have previously been thrown away, such as substandard agricultural products and scraps from food factories. A coined word combining the keyword “gururi”, which refers to the aim of a sustainable and circular food cycle and the manufacturing process of drying and sterilizing raw materials while spinning them, and the words “collaborate”, “cooperation”, and “ko”, which stands for powder. and is a trademark of ASTRA FOOD PLAN. Gururiko (R), which is manufactured by drying and sterilizing it in just 5 to 10 seconds using a superheated steamer, is highly nutritious and has a very good flavor because the ingredients deteriorate very little due to heat. It is characterized by being strong. “Onion Gururiko (R)” is known to have a 135 times stronger aroma compared to commercially available hot-air dried products, and can impart a candy-colored onion flavor with just a small amount of addition. Distribution began in January 2023 for commercial use, primarily as an ingredient in onion bread for bakery chains, and from July 2024 it will also be sold to the general public on mail order sites.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/99210/39/99210-39-eb3bc22340b553d3e3dfc700c3ea0fb4-3900×2600.jpg About “superheated steamer”
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/99210/39/99210-39-4899ffea3980183bae9d19c22dc7baf0-475×336.jpg The “superheated steamer” is a device that can dry and sterilize food at the same time while suppressing the deterioration of food flavor, oxidation, and loss of nutritional value. The following three characteristics make it possible to upcycle inedible parts of vegetables, rice bran, fruit pomace, and beverage waste into high-value-added ingredients. 1. Prevents flavor deterioration and oxidation of ingredients High-temperature steam of several hundred degrees Using superheated steam suppresses oxidation of ingredients, preventing loss of nutritional value and deterioration of flavor. It is also known that the umami components of some ingredients increase, and the nutritional value of vitamin E, β-carotene, and folic acid is higher than when hot air drying is used. 2.Achieving low cost and high production efficiency We have developed a boilerless superheated steam generator, and by using it in conjunction with hot air, we have achieved an extremely energy efficient drying and sterilization technology. It is a continuous type with high production efficiency, overcoming the cost issues of conventional drying technology. 3. Speed sterilization drying The heating time for food in a superheated steamer is only 5 to 10 seconds. While short-term heating suppresses food deterioration, the superheated steam effectively sterilizes food, making it safe to process. Product name: Superheated steamer Release date: April 4, 2022 *“Superheated steamer” catalog download
https://www.astra-fp.com/download/ Company profile ASTRA FOOD PLAN Co., Ltd. URL: https://www.astra-fp.com/ Head office location: 1-10-26 Tsuruse Higashi, Fujimi City, Saitama Prefecture Representative Director: Chihiro Kano Established: August 2020