Japanese Plant-Based Protein Eel Rice Bowl Launched... "Rapid Growth of Alternative Meat Market"

Nissin Praised for Capturing Unique Grilled Eel Flavor
Alternative Meat Expected to Grow Amid Climate Crisis and ESG Trends

In Japan, the alternative meat market using plant-based ingredients is rapidly growing, and Nissin Foods has gained popularity by launching an eel rice bowl made from plant-based protein. With the release of alternative meat products even in seafood, which was previously considered difficult, the growth of the alternative meat market is expected to accelerate further. Coupled with the climate crisis, corporate ESG (environment, social, and governance) has emerged as a key value, and there are forecasts that the alternative meat market will become a massive market worth over 100 trillion won in the future.

On the 24th, Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) introduced the "Plant-Based Eel" rice bowl, which food company Nissin launched in a limited edition of 1,000 sets on the 18th. The eel was created by combining plant-based oils and proteins, and Nissin received praise for replicating the sticky yet oily flavor characteristic of grilled eel, considering the collagen and high oil content of eel.

Nissin's limited edition plant-based eel rice bowl. The advertisement indicated that real eel was not used. (Photo by Nissin website)

Japanese companies are attempting various transformations of alternative meat to break away from the existing perception of "soy meat." At the G7 summit held in Hiroshima last May, the famous ramen chain Ippudo served "plant-based ramen." Ippudo is known for its tonkotsu ramen made by boiling pork bones, but this was recreated using plant-based oils and proteins. At the G7 venue, crowds gathered to taste this plant-based ramen, and the 260 servings prepared sold out within two hours.

Since July last year, Ippudo has been selling plant-based ramen regularly at its Shinjuku branch, using no eggs in the noodles as well as in the broth, and serving it with chashu made from alternative meat, receiving positive responses from customers.

The alternative meat market is also expanding into the seafood sector. Nippon Ham, which launched the soy meat brand "Natchu Meat," released "Natchu Meat Fish Fry" in March. This product replicates fried fish using alternative meat, featuring ingredients derived from soybeans and seaweed to reproduce a texture and flavor close to fish meat. In May, they also launched "Popcorn Shrimp," an alternative meat shrimp fry.

Ippudo's 'Plant-Based Ramen' using plant-based chashu, etc. (Photo by Ippudo website)

Large corporations are also proactively changing their management policies to preemptively capture the market. Ajinomoto, famous for MSG, changed its motto in March from "solving food and health problems with amino acids" to "contributing to the well-being of people, society, and the planet through amino science."

Additionally, they have significantly expanded investments in startups developing cultured meat and alternative meat as next-generation food sources, and established a "Green Business Promotion Department" in April to implement this growth strategy.

Nissin also announced in December 2021 its commitment to "realizing a sustainable food system," aiming to increase the annual use of plant-based protein in products such as cup noodles to 1,100 tons by 2030.

Japanese media foresee that the alternative meat market will grow further amid rising concerns about climate change and food crises. Nikkei projected that by 2030, the size of Japan's alternative meat-related market will expand to 78 billion yen (705.5 billion won), and the global market will reach 88.6 billion dollars (113 trillion won).

They added, "There is growing concern in the food industry about environmental issues caused by recent food production and, furthermore, changes in raw material markets due to global situations such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine," and "Beyond a simple value issue, a new market for alternative food sources is beginning to be developed."