Many Kids’ Foods Released in Japan despite Population Fall

Tokyo, April 20 (Jiji Press)–Japanese food makers are actively launching easy-to-prepare food products for children aged 1 to 6, although the population in the age bracket keeps decreasing. With their frozen side dishes for lunch boxes and food sales services including at nursery schools, companies are trying to meet growing demand for quick meal solutions that reflects an increase in double-income households. Products that prioritize color and nutritional balance are particularly popular. In March, Ajinomoto Co. sold online its “Pitamo” set of frozen side dishes for children on a trial basis, aiming for commercialization. At a price of about 680 yen per set including shipping, all 1,200 sets that had been prepared sold out on the launch day. Pitamo developers at Ajinomoto showed confidence about the product, in which side dishes are packaged inside a container that fits into a standard-size lunch box, saving parents from the trouble of arranging food in a lunch box. As children tend to care how their lunches look to their friends, Ajinomoto emphasizes both visual appeal and nutritional balance of the side dishes. Working parents are ready to “buy time with money as they want to secure more time to spend with their children,” an Ajinomoto developer said. House Foods Group Inc. plans to commercialize its “tasmee” service offering unmanned sales of retort pouch foods, such as hamburger steak, at nursery schools. Parents can buy meals, priced around 540 yen for a set for an adult and a child, when visiting the facilities to pick up their children. Trials began in 2023, and the service is available at about 130 facilities. To ease the burden on the facilities, House Foods offers a quick response, or QR, code payment system as an option. “If you go to a supermarket with your child, it takes two or three times longer to shop,” a user of the tasmee service said, praising its convenience. “The heating time is short, so the food can be served soon after we get home.” In September last year, Ezaki Glico Co. launched its “cotote” frozen food brand for children aged 1 to 3. The brand offers 14 menu options, with the hardness and size of ingredients adjusted in line with growth stages. Cotote food sets, priced at about 840 yen per meal, are delivered to customers’ homes. “With frozen food, the texture and taste of the ingredients are better preserved than with retort pouch food, making it easier for children to learn about various flavors,” an official said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]