December 9, 2022

Tsutomu Foods Started Selling Konjac Products in Europe and the United States

Gunma Prefecture accounts for more than 90% of the nation's konnyaku potato production. Tsutomu Foods (Tomioka City, Gunma), which manufactures konjac products and shirataki using local ingredients and clear water, began working to expand its own brand overseas in 2018. Tsutomu is highlighting its low-calorie and high-fiber content characteristics, and is developing market such as Europe and the United States, where health consciousness is on the rise.

A local supermarket, "Central Market," which operates stores in the US state of Texas, is getting ready to sell konjac products containing edamame powder. Based on the products originally sold in Japan, the product lineup was expanded to include noodle types and other products in response to store demand.

Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) organized B2B food event in Los Angeles in 2021 and it caught the attention of buyers there. The COVID-19 pandemic has also increased interest in healthy eating in the US. Kazumi Tsuchiya, manager of the sales department, made a comment "It is rare that a local supermarket for American customers, rather than a Japanese supermarket used by Japanese expatriates, calls on us."

The first sales negotiations were concluded in 2019 for exports to Estonia. It delivered konjac noodles with rice flour to a local Japanese ramen store for vegans (complete vegetarians). It continued to develop sales channels with products such as "soignac," a konjac noodle with an increased soybean content than those sold in Japan, and exports expanded to more than 10 countries and regions, including Hong Kong and the United Kingdom. Overseas sales account for nearly 10% of total sales.