Sojitz Corporation (“Sojitz”), Royal Holding Co., Ltd. (“Royal HD”), and Unitec Foods Co., Ltd. (“Unitec Foods”) concluded a strategic business alliance on January 20^th, 2022. Under this business partnership, the companies aim to supply products using NIKUVEGE, a plant-based meat developed by Unitec Foods, to global consumers with guaranteed promise of quality at a cost competitive price. 

Unitec Foods has developed a range of food materials over the years, and the company has capitalized on this background for the development of NIKUVEGE, a plant-based meat that achieves a new level of closeness to the texture, umami, and flavor of real meat. Combining Royal HD’s strength with menu development from years of experience in the restaurant business along with Sojitz Group’s manufacturing, sales, and marketing functions, all three companies will collaborate together to pursue development of delicious products and menus using NIKUVEGE products. All three companies will deepen their collaboration in order to bring NIKUVEGE products to consumers at Royal group restaurants and other mass retailers in future.

[Qualities of NIKUVEGE, product logo, and image]

[Description of Business Tie-up and Each Company’s Role]

(1)  Business Tie-up
Sojitz, Royal HD, and Unitec Foods will deliver safe and delicious plant-based meat products to consumers worldwide with guaranteed quality at competitive prices. All three companies will pursue co-creation to create new value.

(2)  Each Company’s Role

1)    Sojitz Group
Leveraging its extensive network both in the Japan and overseas, Sojitz will create business opportunities highly compatible with NIKUVEGE. Sojitz Foods Corporation* and Meat One Corporation have well established sales channels for livestock products and advanced processing technology that bring together Sojitz Group’s know-how in the field, and Sojitz will provide raw material procurement, manufacturing, sales, and marketing functions in order to develop, manufacture, and sell these products for wholesale and commercial consumption. This project is based on Sojitz and Royal HD’s capital and business tie-up concluded on February 15^th, 2021.

2)    Royal HD
Royal HD will leverage its many years of experience in the restaurant business to develop and provide menus using NIKUVEGE. Royal HD’s mission is to amaze and impress its customers by providing meals that generate new value offered via its stores and other sales channels.

3)    Unitec Foods
Unitec Foods utilizes the expertise and advanced technological capabilities it has acquired by developing and handling polysaccharide thickeners and functional materials to plan and conduct R&D of high-quality products such as NIKUVEGE that demonstrate a commitment to ingredients and flavor. Unitec Foods also plans to focus future research on new sustainable ingredients.

Demand for plant-based foods is on the rise due to growing health awareness. Additionally, COP26 confirmed that reducing methane gas emissions from livestock is an important measure to prevent global warming. Plant-based meats therefore contribute to human health and the environment, and plant-based meat products are attracting attention as a rapidly growing industry.

Sojitz, Royal HD, and Unitec Foods will combine their strengths through cross-collaboration to deliver quality-guaranteed, delicious products to consumers while simultaneously addressing society’s issues through new solutions. 

[Related Information]

Company Overview – Sojitz Corporation

Established	April 1st, 2003
Head Office	1-1, Uchisaiwaicho 2-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Representative Director	Masayoshi Fujimoto
Main Business	General trading company

Company Overview – Royal Holdings Co., Ltd.

Established	April 4th, 1950
Head Office	3-28-5 Naka, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka
Representative Director	Yasuhiro Kurosu
Main Business	Restaurant business; Contract food service; In-flight catering business; Hotel business; Food manufacturing

Company Overview – Unitec Foods Co., Ltd.

Established	April 1st, 2002
Head Office	14-4, Nihonbashi Kodenmacho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Representative Director	Shinichi Sekita
Main Business	Sale and production of food ingredients; Sale of functional materials; Sale of wholesale jams; OEM business ranging from development to contract manufacturing and quality management

[For questions regarding this press release, contact:]
Sojitz Corporation Public Relations Dept. +81－3－6871－3404
Royal Holding Co., Ltd. Corporate Communications Office +81－03－5707－8852
Unitec Foods Co., Ltd.  Administrative Department +81－03－3639－2071