Advancing personalized nutrition: Roquette expands Tokyo Food Technical Center 

07 May 2018 --- Roquette, a supplier of plant-based ingredients for Food, Nutrition and Health markets, has expanded its Food Customer Technical Service Center (CTS) in Tokyo to respond to an increasing demand from Japanese and Asian customers and consumers for personalized nutrition, with ingredients such as plant-based proteins, fibers and healthy carbohydrates.

The expansion of the facility has increased its size by 50 percent, and it now includes new pilot-scale capabilities that will enable Roquette food application experts to bring value in specialized nutrition (baby food, maternal nutrition, sports nutrition, weight management, senior and clinical nutrition), dairy as well as beverages. 

According to company statement, this “new milestone reaffirms Roquette’s commitment to offering plant-based ingredients that meet specific consumer expectations and needs, according to their lifestyle choices, their age, where they live and what they do.”

Roquette has developed a growing presence in Japan since 2002. Its CTS in Tokyo has been serving and supporting the company’s customers since 2007 thanks to its expertise in baking (texturing and sugar-free solutions), and savory (texturing solutions, batter and coating solutions, plant-based proteins). In addition, this CTS is the center of excellence for noodle application, supported by a strong expertise and a set of solid technologies. 

“There are strong underlying consumer trends in the Asia region, driven by rising awareness of healthier lifestyles, sustainability concerns and rising life expectancy. [These trends include] an increased awareness and demand for plant-based proteins, fibers, sugar alternatives and healthy carbohydrates, higher interest in sports nutrition and demand for senior nutrition. The consumers are increasingly open to new food solutions. Moreover, the burgeoning middle class throughout Asia and their distinct tastes and requirements create new opportunities for innovative food and nutrition solutions,” Carole Petitjean, Head of Corporate Communications at Roquette, tells NutritionInsight.

The company sees the Japanese market as a pioneer market for trends that are expected to grow worldwide.

“In general, traditional food customs of eating healthy are still strong in Japan, and at the same time, there is an increasing emphasis on new innovative sources like plant-based protein, driven by high life expectancy, a growing elderly population health consciousness, and sustainability concerns. There is an increasing interest and expectation on improving senior nutrition in Japan. Japanese food and diet is viewed as one of the healthiest in Asia,” Petitjean says.

In Asia Pacific, the population over 60 years is expected to more than double from 547 million in 2016 to nearly 1.3 billion by 2050. According to data from the Japanese government, the number of Japanese people aged 65 years or older nearly quadrupled in the last forty years, to 33 million in 2014, accounting for 26 percent of the country's population, Petitjean explains.  

“Demography, economic development, urbanization and new eating behaviors create new expectations and our new Food Technical Center based in Tokyo is very well positioned to address this challenges, thanks to a strong expertise and pilot-scale technologies for many applications like baking, savory, beverage and specialized nutrition,” she says.

The Tokyo Food CTS is part of a global network that includes several facilities in Asia (China, India, Japan). This network should soon be reinforced with the upcoming creation of a new Food CTS center in Singapore later this year.

“The expansion of our Tokyo CTS is a strategic move for Roquette in several ways. It is part of our ambition to serve our clients locally, with a network of experts delivering tailored solutions to specific needs. It also reinforces the company’s presence in Asia, which is a major region for us, offering significant development opportunities,” says Jean-Marc Gilson, Roquette’s CEO. 

By Lucy Gunn