The stone of other mountains can be used to attack jade. How many secrets does the Japanese drink hide?
This article is from WeChat public account: FBIF Food & Beverage Innovation (ID: FoodInnovation), which cannot be reproduced without permission.
Author: Wenky
What do you think of when it comes to Japanese manufacturing? Is it a cost-effective Japanese car or a camera that can zoom hundreds of times? Made in Japan seems to mean craftsmanship and advanced technology, which is recognized worldwide. Does the food and beverage industry, which is also in the manufacturing industry, leave people with the impression of “Made in Japan”?
Japan is the third largest food and beverage market in the world. According to the report of the Japanese TPC market research institute, the size of the Japanese soft drink market in 2018 is about 246.439 billion yuan [1]. According to Euromonitor International data, the size of China’s soft drink market in 2018 was 572.4 billion yuan [2]. China has a population of 1.395 billion (as of the end of 2018), and Japan has only 126 million (as of June 2019). Why is China’s population more than 10 times that of Japan, and the beverage market is more than twice that of Japan?
Products are the most direct reflection of the current state of the market. Why is Suntory Oolong Tea and Ito Garden Green Tea popular in the world? Are there any routines for these explosives? This article will take stock of the specialty products of the Japanese beverage giants, explore the secrets of the giant’s research and development products, and hope to summarize the trend of future beverage development.
1, The secret of research and development of Japanese beverage giants – no routines, true skills
As Japanese convenience stores bloom in first- and second-tier cities, and social networking sites, Amway, people are no longer strangers to Japanese drinks. Several brands whose names can be called by consumers, such as Suntory, Asahi, etc., are the giants of the Japanese beverage industry.
Data shows that in 2017, Coca-Cola sales in Japan reached 9.759 billion yen, with a market share of 26.4%; Suntory beverage products accounted for 16.6% of the Japanese beverage market, with sales of 6.151 billion yen; Asahi 11.4% 4,225 million yen; Kirin is 9.4%, 3,646.5 million yen; Ito Park is followed by 3.381 billion yen, accounting for 9.2% [3].
Overview of these giants’ product lines, including carbonated drinks, juice drinks, tea drinks, coffee drinks, milk drinks, flavored water drinks and other categories. In such a rich product line, it can also have eye-catching innovative products and stable sales.What do you rely on for the big single item? Let’s take a look at these products first.
Suntory Natural Water PREMIUM MORNING TEA Transparent Milk Tea
Image Source: Suntory Foods official website
I think everyone remembers the transparent milk tea from Japan fire to China the previous year. Transparent milk tea is a new natural water series launched by Suntory in September 2017. When this transparent milk tea was launched, it was questioned by people: Isn’t this a flavored water with flavor? Subsequently, Suntory released a video explaining the production process of transparent milk tea, which strongly responded to people’s doubts.
Suntory Transparent Milk Tea Making Process
Image Source: Suntory’s official website YouTube
Suntory Transparent Alcohol-Free Beer Flavored Drink
Image Source: Suntory’s official website
The original transparent milk tea is not a flavor plus water, but refines the aroma and flavor of black tea and milk by distillation, thus removing the original color of black tea and milk. Perfume extraction. After the transparent milk tea received attention at home and abroad, Suntory used this distillation technology to successively launch transparent beverages such as “transparent non-alcohol beer-flavored beverage”, “transparent lemon tea” and “transparent white peach tea”.. Unexpectedly transparent beverages make consumers feel fresh, and because the extraction of raw materials is not a flavor.
Dissolved in water is a prerequisite for other beverage ingredients, but if some ingredients are insoluble in water? In particular, some plant materials have water-insoluble ingredients, so the flavor of the plants cannot be completely reduced. Taking into account this situation, Suntory has developed the HHS (High Temperature High Pressure Steam) technology.
HHS technical test equipment for processing malt
Image Source: Suntory’s official website
The core of HHS technology is the principle of supercritical water. Supercritical water refers to water when the density of water expanded by high temperature and the density of water vapor compressed by high pressure are exactly the same when the gas pressure and temperature reach a certain value. The magic of this supercritical water in which liquids and gases blend together is that many substances can be dissolved. HHS technology is to treat water at high temperature and pressure, using highly reactive high-density water vapor to extract the water-insoluble part of the raw material. At present, Suntory has applied HHS technology to beer products to minimize the taste of malt.
Look again at another giant Asahi. The Japanese love coffee, probably around the world, and canned coffee is a daily necessity for many office workers. According to data released by the Japan Coffee Association, the average Japanese drink of about 11 cups of coffee per week, the proportion of canned coffee is as high as 20%, and an average of about 91 cans of coffee per person per year [4].
Asahi WONDA Morning Shot Morning Special Coffee
Image Source: Asahi Beverage Official Website
The Asahi Beverage WONDA Morning Shot series of canned coffee is a popular Japanese product, and many office workers said they can drink one can in the morning.Very comfortable [5]. The secret of this refreshment comes from the unique “brain hole” of Asahi in the development process.
Beverages often carry out taste and sensory testing during the development process, and Asahi has a unique way to study what kind of moods and feelings consumers have when drinking coffee.
Researchers wear device tests
Image Source: Asahi Beverage Official Website
The Asahi Beverage teamed up with university institutions to research analyze the emotions of people drinking coffee with brainwave measurement technology. Since brain waves are weak electrical signals, they are susceptible to noise, and it has not been possible to measure brain waves in people’s diets so far. In addition, it is difficult to express emotions in numbers, and brainwave tests are mainly limited to large categories such as alpha waves and beta waves (if the alpha waves are many, they are in a relaxed state) [6].
However, Asahi Beverage researched the latest brainwave analysis technology, using unique noise processing technology, and decomposing brain waves into a fine frequency combination to connect with people’s sensibility. According to this technology, can measure the mood changes, interest, concentration, stress and other mood changes before and after drinking coffee.
According to the official website of Asahi Beverage, this technology has been applied to the WONDA Morning Shot series of canned coffee, and it has been found that people have a downward pressure after drinking.
Kerlin Raw Tea
Image Source: Kirin Drinks Official Website Instagram
On the beverage shelves of Japanese convenience stores, in addition to coffee, there are many tea drinks. The “green dress” of Kirin raw tea is very conspicuous on the shelves.
Kerlin Raw Tea was launched in 2016 and shouted the slogan of “changing Japanese green tea and creating a new green tea culture”. Sounds like a pourNot small, where does Qilin Raw Tea come from?
Kerlin raw tea production technology (left: tea micro-grinding technology right: traditional brewing tea method)
Image Source: Kirin Beverage Official Website
Kerlin raw tea is a combination of new technology and traditional tea making. The new technology is to place the tea leaves in the drum and use the ceramic balls to superfine the tea leaves. This process can preserve the savory taste and aroma of the tea leaves. The freshly pulverized fresh tea leaves are then brought to the sweetness of the tea by conventional low temperature extraction methods.
With this technology, Kirin raw tea blends with the original green tea drink with umami and bitterness, and the aroma of green tea can be retained for a long time.
Ito Park matchaLOVE
Source: Ito Park official website
Ito Garden’s tea drinks are highly popular in Japan and even the world. In June last year, the brand that was created in the United States by Ito Park landed in Japan and launched a fun matcha drink.
matcha LOVE bottle instructions
Image source: CHAKATSU
This matcha LOVE matcha drink, you will find that the drink inside is transparent, is it the same as Suntory transparent milk tea? Actually, This matcha drink hides the matcha powder in the cap.. Two steps are required for drinking. The first step is to rotate the bottle cap so that the matcha powder in the lid falls into the transparent water. The second step is to shake the bottle body so that the matcha powder is fully dissolved in the water, so that a bottle of freshly made matcha drink is finished.
matcha LOVE without bottle opening
Image source: CHAKATSU
Open the bottle and shake the matcha LOVE
Image source: CHAKATSU
This specially designed cap allows consumers to experience a rocking pleasure while drinking a drink and a sense of accomplishment in making a drink. A small bottle cap makes Ito Park and consumers have more interesting communication.
Among these products, there are innovative products that make people feel interesting and interesting when buying and drinking. They also have popular products with good reputation, and consumers are constantly re-purchasing with quality. Although it is a different strategy, it is not difficult to find that Japanese beverage giants often use advanced technology and ideas when developing products, which is one of the important reasons why they can become giants.
Second, The appearance of the future drink, this is the case!
The Japanese beverage giant has promoted the development of the Japanese beverage industry. Perhaps we can use a broader perspective to portray the future of beverages from the perspective of the entire industry.
1, good to drink, good to drink, good to drink, the mouth of the consumer never lie
No matter how the beverage develops, the upgrade or subversion, the consumer’s mouth will not lie. What’s more, with the growing beverage market, the number of products is increasing, and consumers’ mouths are beginning to become “deaf”. Therefore, the first thing a beverage company must guarantee is the taste of the product.
Coca-Cola ILOHAS Melon Cream
Image source: Japan Coca-Cola official website
Good to drink is the key to repurchase. Alcoholic beverages have seen a decline in sales in recent years. People consider that health issues will reduce the purchase of carbonated beverages. Therefore, carbonated beverage companies need to consider new things to win the attention of consumers. For example, Coca-Cola Japan launched a melon-flavored carbonated beverage last year, and the first taste of melon and cream can be tasted.
Coca-Cola THE TANSAN Strong Carbonated Soda
Image source: Japan Coca-Cola official website
In addition to the “new” taste, you can also make a fuss about the taste. Japan’s Coca-Cola’s adult carbonated beverage brand “CANADA DRY” launched strong carbonated soda last year. According to the official website, the carbon dioxide content of this strong carbonated water is the highest in the history of Coca-Cola in Japan, bringing a strong sense of excitement. Through a unique multi-barrier system, Coca-Cola continuously filters carbonic acid gas to achieve the best taste.
2, not only quench your thirst, but also lower your blood pressure and keep your attention!
The initial meaning of beverages is to quench their thirst and drink, but as the industry becomes more competitive, beverages need to increase added value, and functionality is an entry point.
Calbe アミール lactic acid bacteria drink
Image source Asahi Beverage official website
On functional drinks, Japanese drinks are on the front. Asahi Beverage has a range of beverages with the “Functional Food” certification. For example, the lactic acid bacteria brand Calpis, which is owned by Asahi Beverage, has a lactic acid bacteria drink that can lower blood pressure. This drink contains milk tripeptide (VPP, IPP) ingredients, the official introduction of a daily bottle can lower blood pressure.
WILKINSON EXTRA inhibits fat-absorbed carbonated drinks
Image Source: Asahi Beverage Official Website
“Suppressing fat absorption” sounds tempting for people who are losing weight. WILKINSON, a carbonated beverage brand owned by Asahi Beverage, has a soda that adds indigestible dextrin, which inhibits fat absorption after meals and stabilizes the rise of neutral fat. In fact, not only soda, Japan’s Coca-Cola, Suntory have launched a similar function of tea drinks.
Caribbean Drink “Working Brain” Series
Image Source: Asahi Beverage Official Website
Asahi Beverage launched the “Working Brain” series of functional beverages for brain health from September this year, including lactic acid bacteria drinks, coffee drinks and juice drinks. Welch’s juice, which will be available on October 15th, will help maintain focus and improve productivity and accuracy by adding a component, lactononadecapeptide (NIPPLTQTPVVVPPFLQPE), which is derived from the Calpis fermentation process. Suitable for middle-aged people who are easy to forget.
From lowering blood pressure, inhibiting fat absorption to maintaining attention, functional drinks are more than a little bit more powerful.
3, Long live health, drink is not guilty!
Either carbonated drinks or juice drinks are often criticized by consumers because they are not healthy due to the addition of large amounts of sugar. Health must be one of the trends in the future of beverage development.
Japanese beverage companies in terms of health, in addition to the development of sugar-reducing, sugar-free versions, such as Suntory sugar-free oolong tea, will also be on the nutritional composition table “0”. The above Coca-Cola strong carbonated soda has achieved 0 calories, 0 fat, 0 carbon water, 0 protein and 0 caffeine.
Ito Garden 1 Day Vitamin Carbonated Drink
Image source: Ito Park official website
In addition to subtraction, drinks can also be added. For example, the Japanese food and beverage website mognavi.jp released the first place in the popular drink list. Ito Garden’s 1 day vitamin carbonated drink, added vitamin E, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin A, etc. 11 of the daily needs of the human body 11 Kind of vitamins.
4, for the environment, more tomorrow
The 2019 food and beverage trends released by Mintel and Innova Market Insights include “green sustainability”. The beverage industry inevitably needs to use packaging such as plastics, so it is important to pay attention to the environment in the future.
According to the data of the Japan PET Bottle Recycling Promotion Conference, the recycling rate of PET bottles in Japan in 2017 reached 84.8%, far exceeding that in Europe and America. It is worth mentioning that Suntory, Asahi and Ito Park all regard “environment” as an element of product development.
Kerlin promotes lightweight aluminum bottles
Image Source: Kirin’s official website
In February this year, Kirin set a plan to increase the proportion of recycled resin in Japanese products to 50% in 2027, and in June, launched DECAF (no coffee version) using 100% recycled PET resin bottles. In addition, Kirin has promoted the lightweighting of aluminum bottles, such as reducing canned beer bottles from 20.5g to 13.8g, thereby reducing carbon dioxide emissions during production and transportation.
Three, The stone of other mountains canAttack jade and explore more Japanese beverage secrets
The so-called stone of other mountains can be used to attack jade. The Japanese beverage industry does have a lot to learn from. I don’t think it’s better to see so many products. Do you want to personally feel the charm of Japanese drinks? Now, there is an opportunity to visit the front line of the Japanese beverage industry, and there are more updated products and technologies waiting for you to explore.
The 4th Japan International Beverage & Liquid Food Manufacturing Exhibition Drink JAPAN 2019
Image source: Drink JAPAN official website
Japan’s largest professional exhibition dedicated to beverage and liquid food R&D and manufacturing – The 4th Japan International Beverage & Liquid Food Manufacturing Exhibition Drink JAPAN 2019 will be held at the Makuhari International Exhibition Center, Japan, November 27-29, 2019. Held.
Drink JAPAN 2018 Live
Image source: Drink JAPAN official website
Drink JAPAN is hosted by Reed Exhibitions Japan and co-organized by the National Association of Refreshing Beverages (JSDA). It is held once a year, and the 2018 exhibition attracts nearly 50,000 people. There are nearly 200 companies exhibiting and 50 speakers. The contents of the exhibition include raw materials, processing technology, container packaging and intelligent manufacturing, covering all fields of the industry. This year, the International Beverage Association (ICBA), the Japan National Association of Refreshing Beverages (JSDA), Coca-Cola, Kirin, Asahi, and Tetra Pak will give a speech on the hot topics of the global food and beverage industry.
<2019 Partial Lectures>
Drink JAPAN will bring together industry players from around the world and companies that are entering the food and beverage market from other industries. Exhibitors mainly come from beverage raw materials, containers, packaging equipment and materials, OEM, manufacturing equipment, inspection equipment, sterilization and cleaning products, laboratory equipment, logistics and IT services. There are special features such as dairy manufacturing, wine manufacturing, health food, and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Reference source:
[1] 2019 beverage market, マーケティングパワー survey, September 27, 2019, TPCビブリオテック
[2] Data Release | The total size of soft drinks is 572.4 billion: Wahaha, Kang Tong, Red Bull…. The 12 giants account for the geometry? July 19, 2019, food board
[3] Cool beverage market/2017 はほぼ ばい ばい 3 3 trillion 821.7 billion 円に, June 12, 2018, circulation ニュース
[4] I always wanted to ask, why is the Japanese so fond of canned coffee? November 20, 2017, food stamps
[5] BOSS, GEORGIA, WONDA…, 1人気の缶コーヒーブランドは? September 14, 2017, マイナビニュース
[6] Asahi Beverage Official Website