Providing Capital to Taishi Food
- Company Name
- Taishi Food Inc.
Taishi Food Inc. (headquarters: Sannohe, Aomori Prefecture) started off in the manufacturing and sale of natto (fermented soy beans) under the leadership of its first president, Eijiro Kudo, in 1940. Today, the company is a major manufacturer and also a leading producer of natto and soy beans. Around 1948, the company expanded its portfolio to also include soybean sprouts, tofu, and deep-fried tofu. In 1971, the company successively deployed manufacturing sites, starting with the construction of the Towada plant. In 1998, with the construction of the Nikko plant, Taishi Food embarked on full-fledged sales in the greater Tokyo area. Today, the company is supplying product mainly in the Tohoku, Kita-Kanto and greater Tokyo areas.
Taishi Food is very selective about the raw materials it uses, including soy beans and water. The company's plants are blessed to be situated in environments of abundant nature--for example, some adjacent to national or quasi-national parks. In addition, the company implements safe and secure manufacturing practices, including in 1997 being one of the first to label its packages with a declaration stating that it does not use genetically modified soy beans.
In particular, in the production of tofu, the company does not use a defoamer, emulsifying bittern or other additives. The company also uses the iccho-yose tofu making process (a clean manufacturing method that is fully automated so that the product does not pass through people's hands). The company has been implementing various other advanced technologies, including one extending the shelf-life of products.
DBJ financing supports Taishi Food in terms of not only its new product development and production and other measures but also its enhancement of productivity through creativity and originality.
