Industrial innovation organizations etc. invested on making "meat and bread from alga"

Recently the NHK News On-line reported the following:

“藻から肉やパン” 産業革新機構などが出資

5月23日 4時04分

植物の藻から取り出したたんぱく質で、肉やパンなどの原料を作ることを目指すベンチャー企業に、国が主導するファンドと大手商社が出資しました。世界的な人口増加による食料不足が懸念される中、新たな食品を生み出すビジネスとして期待が高まっています。

国が主導するファンドの産業革新機構と大手商社の三菱商事は、藻を培養した食品を製造している川崎市のベンチャー企業に合わせて１７億円を出資しました。

この会社が扱う「スピルリナ」という藻はビタミンなどが豊富で、ジュースに混ぜて飲むなどの需要が増えているということで、今回、調達した資金で東南アジアのブルネイに工場を建設し欧米などに販売を拡大する計画です。また、将来的には藻から取り出したたんぱく質で、肉やパンなどの原料を作ることを目指すということです。

産業革新機構と三菱商事は、世界的な人口増加や経済成長による食料の不足が懸念される中、新たな食品を生み出すビジネスとしての期待から出資を決めました。

ベンチャー企業の佐々木俊弥社長は「パンやめん、最終的にはハンバーグのような加工肉などさまざまな製品を作ることで、食品のベースにして幅広く活用してもらえるようにしたい」と話していました。

Translation

A major trading firm together with a fund that was directed by the country had invested into a business venture which aimed at producing raw materials to make meat and bread from the protein of vegetable alga. While there was a fear of insufficient food due to worldwide population growth, there was a high expectation in this business in that it would produce new food.

A country directed industrial innovation organizational fund together with Mitsubishi Corporation which was a major trading firm had invested 1,700 million yen into a business venture in Kawasaki-shi to cultivate alga, and from it to produce food.

The alga handled by this company was called "Spirulina" which was rich in Vitamin; its demand was increasing for adding it into juice to drink. It was said that the funding supplied this time was to construct a factory in Brunei in Southeast Asia and there were plans to expand sales in Europe and America etc. Also it was said that in future the aim was to turn it into the raw material for making meat and bread by using the protein taken out from alga.

Amidst the fears of worldwide population growth and lack of food due to economic growth, this industrial innovation organization together with Mitsubishi decided to invest in the expectation that this business would produce new food.

President Shunya Sasaki of the business venture was saying that "By making bread and noodles, and finally the various processed meat products such as hamburger I would like to make sure it could be utilized widely as a food base."

It is an interesting and innovative new business. I look forward to trying the products.