U.S. Hot Topics: What Is The Japanese Perspective?

Examining America’s hot trends in the context of the Japanese marketplace.

By Ron Bailey

Many of the issues leading the news regarding the nutraceuticals and functional foods markets in the U.S., including low-carbohydrate diets, trans fatty acid health issues, new approaches to improved gastrointestinal health, and emerging markets for new herbs and botanicals, have very different relevance in Japan. The reasons for the differences are quite varied, but at the same time instructive when considered from a global perspective.

Low Carbohydrate Diets

It was mentioned in a previous column (Japan Insider, May 2004) in this magazine that there is virtually no interest in, or even awareness of, the low-carbohydrate diet approach to weight loss that has become so popular in the U.S. Japan has a rice-based diet, and the most recent National Nutrition Survey in Japan, 2001 published by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, indicated that 30% of daily Japanese food in­take calories comes from rice, and 60% of total food intake calories are carbohydrates; it’s been that way for many years.

While obesity is a growing concern in Japan, particularly for middle-aged males and females, their ap­proach to weight loss is not likely to include serious carbohydrate reduction, at least not for the vast majority of overweight Japanese. Rice is more than a food in Japan; it has been an important part of Japanese culture for over 2000 years, when rice from the Asian continent was first cultivated in Japan. The other primary dietary carbohydrate sources—wheat and other grain products, potatoes, and vegetables—have less cultural significance than rice, but are still very important in the typical Japanese diet. On average, according to the nutrition survey, the Japanese calorie consumption is less than 2000 calories per day, and has been for the last few years. Perhaps more important, only 3% of the respondents in the 2001 nutrition survey had a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 30, which is the U.S. measure of overweight and obesity, so the incentive for drastic weight loss is much less than it is in the U.S.

Trans Fatty Acids

This is another clear “non-issue” in Japan. Japanese consumers are generally unaware of the health concerns with trans fatty acids. The reason is simple: Japanese food processors are less likely to use partially hydrogenated food oils, and tend instead to rely more on tropical oils (palm oil, palm kernel oil) in many food processing applications. Japan was able to resist the political pressure seen in the U.S. several years ago, and did not make the switch away from tropical oils. They continue to believe that the saturated fats in tropical oils are not a health issue.

Perhaps of equal importance, the nutrition survey also show that the overall fat consumption in Japan is only 25% of calories on average, and has been for many years. In addition, nearly one-half of fat consumption in Japan is from foods of animal origin, including omega 3-rich fish and seafood, and only 20% from other fats and oils sources. Interestingly, the percentage of fat in the diet from “sweets” in Japan is only 5% of the total fat consumption.

Gastrointestinal Health

In contrast with the previous two U.S. “hot topics” that have essentially no current relevance in Japan, the area of gastrointestinal health has been an issue of concern in Japan for many years. Although the incidence of serious intestinal diseases, including stomach cancer, is declining in Japan, gastrointestinal health maintenance remains a major problem. Part of the reason for this is the historical tendency for Japanese doctors to over prescribe antibiotics. While the situation is improving, the awareness of the connection between antibiotic use and the health risks of developing strains of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms has been a major contributor to the overall concern.

This concern is one reason that the FOSHU (Foods for Specified Health Uses) category in Japan includes several products positioned for gastrointestinal health. Over 60% of the $5 billion annual retail sales of FOSHU products are for gastrointestinal health products, and nearly 50% of the 412 FOSHU products currently approved by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare are similarly positioned. Most of the very successful product lines of probiotic lactic acid beverages and yogurts from Yakult have converted to FOSHU status, and it has been reported in Japan that the sales of the products increased after the conversions. A FOSHU approval allows negotiated on-label health claims as well as a logo indicating the product has been accepted by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare.

The Yakult success in Japan and in other markets has been well documented in the trade press, and does not need to be repeated here. Given the nearly 70-year market history in Japan for the Yakult brand, it is clear that gastrointestinal health maintenance is not a recent issue. There are many other successful FOSHU and non-FOSHU products positioned for gastrointestinal health, however, including those with fiber and/or prebiotic oligosaccharides instead of the more common probiotic approach.

Herbs and Botanicals

The consumer interest in herbs and botanicals in Japan continues to grow not only for domestic Japanese and other Asian sources, but also for Western herbs and botanicals. This is not a new trend.

The Japanese are interested in herbs and botanicals, which have a history of safe and effective use in other markets, including the U.S. and Europe, and typically conduct additional clinical re­search in Japan to support the scientific base for the products. Even though there are only a few herbs and botanicals that are the “functional components” of approved FOSHU products, there are many others positioned in those structure/function claims areas that are the focus of the FOSHU categories. Examples include ingredients with demonstrated blood cholesterol or blood glucose-lowering efficacy, even though on-label claims cannot be legally made for non-FOSHU products.

Diet and weight loss ingredients, which are not part of the FOSHU health claims category, are also often herb/botanical-based. Popular examples would include the relatively new raspberry ketone ingredient from Kanebo Foods, and the food staple konnyaku glucomannan non-caloric fiber source.

There were several herb and botanical ingredients exhibited at the ifia Japan 2004 international ingredients and additives show held in late May in Tokyo. These included:
• Larch arabinogalactan as a fiber source and as an immune enhancer
• Chinese cili fruit rich in Vitamin C
• Nattokinase enzyme derived from soybean natto for improved blood flow
• Meshima mushroom extract for diet and improved immune function
• Chinese Rakanka juice concentrate for high intensity sweetness
• Hawaiian astaxanthin for antioxidant properties and anti-inflammation
• Guar gum fiber for blood glucose control
• Yucca extract as a food preservative
• Fermented black yeast beta-glucan for immune function support
• Black soybean hull extract for eye strain and improved blood flow
• Korean kimchi powder for allergies
• Basil seed extract for satiety
• Chinese bamboo leaf extract as an antioxidant

Summary

As usual, the Japanese market is different from the U.S. and most other countries in terms of interests and priorities. There is much to learn from the Japanese, however, not just in terms of new concepts for short-term applications, but also in using the Japanese experience to help predict future developments in other countries.NW

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Note: Important sources of information for this summary are the National Institute of Health and Nutrition in Japan, the ifia Japan 2004 Guidebook, and the Japan Oil Chemists’ Society World Congress 2000 annual meeting summary.