Japan

The Japanese delegations visiting Food Valley were a mix of government, university and business representatives. They were introduced to leading food technology companies and given information about the Dutch network of businesses, research institutes and universities. It soon became clear that the Netherlands and Japan have complementary knowledge that can be of mutual benefit. The two countries also agreed that a network such as Food Valley is essential in developing new functional foods.

Increasing health awareness
Japan’s booming sales of nutritional supplements and foods with health benefits is a direct result of the government’s increased emphasis on health. The country’s rapidly graying population is facing the typical age-related health problems of diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, arteriosclerosis and osteoporosis.

Japanese counterpart
Food Valley’s Japanese counterpart is Kinki Bio-Industry Development Organization (KBDO). Food Valley is helping KBDO find Dutch partners for cooperation with companies in Japan. The cities of Osaka and Hiroshima in particular are currently prioritizing the development of functional foods. In this effort they are relying to a great extent on Dutch expertise, mainly via Food Valley.