About us

Mission

food remnants

Create "Value" from "Mottainai".

The character "贅" in "贅沢" (luxury) can also be read as "muda," meaning "waste".
Food remnants such as out-of-spec agricultural products post-harvesting, or vegetable trimmings from food factories were often discarded as "waste". However, people are often unaware that these remnants contain a high concentration of nutrients.

These remnants, which actually hold value, are often discarded at factories and production sites. I named these losses "Hidden Food Loss", because their existence is not something that general consumers are aware of.

In Japan, the amount of "Hidden Food Loss" will go up to 20 million tons annually. We reborn "Hidden Food Loss" into "New Ingredients" through our unique technology and develop "new value" from "waste.

We believe that this represents a society where new value circulates.
Ctreate "Value" from "Mottainai *".
ASTRA FOOD PLAN aims to create a society, where this becomes the norm, together with all of you.

*Mottainai—is the popular Japanese word that comes to my mind every time I hear about how our customers dispose food remnants.

Vision

No more
"Hidden Food Loss"
through upcycling

With our drying and sterilization technology, "JOSEN", we aim to involve the entire supply chain to create a circular food system.

Gulurico powder on spoons

1

Improving food self-sufficiency

We reduce food waste by upcycling food remnants and out-of-spec agricultural products into powder, which will be revived as valuable new food ingredients.

2

Promoting health and well-being

We contribute to people's health by providing functional ingredients derived from the unused parts of vegetables.

3

Reducing the environmental impact on our planet

We reduce food waste by ensuring every part of the food is used.

What is "Hidden Food Loss"

In Japan, food waste issue that is shown as data (approximately 5 million tons annually) does not include food remnants such as out-of-spec agricultural products post-harvesting, vegetable trimmings from food factories, or strained lees from beverages. Including all of these, the amount will go up to 20 million tons annually while many are still edible.
We named these losses "Hidden Food Loss" because, despite their huge scale, their existence is not something that general consumers are aware of.

Hidden Food Loss diagram showing 20 million tons of hidden waste versus 4.72 million tons of visible food waste, illustrated with fresh produce images

Source: Trend in the Amounts of Japan's Food Loss and Waste FY2022
(Ministry of the Environment, Japan)

Message

"Mottainai"—is the popular Japanese word that comes to my mind every time I hear about how our customers dispose food remnants.

In Japan, food waste issue that is shown as data (approximately 4.72 million tons annually) does not include food remnants such as out-of-spec agricultural products post-harvesting, vegetable trimmings from food factories, or strained lees from beverages. Including all of these, the amount will go up to 20 million tons annually while many are still edible. I named these losses "Hidden Food Loss" because, despite their huge scale, their existence is not something that general consumers are aware of.

For example, at a food manufacturer, tens of thousands of tons of vegetable trimmings are disposed as industrial waste at significant disposal costs each year. These food remnants contain moisture and can be easily damaged during transportation. Even when considering drying, existing methods are costly and time-consuming. As a result, it is rather more "cost-effective" to simply dispose them.

With "JOSEN," our superheated steam technology - which is superior in high production efficiency, cost performance, sterilization, and maintaining high nutritional value - it becomes possible to upcycle the previously disposed food remnants into a high-value-added food powder called "Gulurico®."

Father's dream and our new challenges "I want to make my father's dream come true" — this is why I decided to start my business.
About 30 years ago, my father, who was an executive at a major corporation, suddenly resigned and started his own business. He launched a venture that used superheated steam technology to turn vegetables and fruits into purees for sale.
I also joined his business, but it didn't progress as we had hoped, and he eventually retired. Now, I am carrying on his vision and have started developing the technology to create high-quality food powders using superheated steam technology, something he and I had envisioned together for a long time.
After a year of development, we created the superheated steam drying machine "JOSEN." The food powders produced by "JOSEN" have a concentrated flavor and retain a rich amount of nutrients. I realized that with "JOSEN," we can shine a light on food remnants that would otherwise be discarded—what we call "Hidden Food Loss".

Economic and Ecological Sustainability In 2020, when we established ASTRA FOOD PLAN, terms like "Circular Economy," "SDGs," and "ESG" were not widely recognized. Today, sustainability efforts are gaining attention as a corporate responsibility, and we are receiving inquiries from many companies asking for help in upcycling their own “Hidden Food Loss”.
Though the reality is that many companies prioritize "cost reduction" over "upcycling," there remains a significant barrier to transitioning from existing mass production systems to a new circular model.
To overcome this barrier, it's not enough to simply be "ethical"; we need to establish a business model where "upcycling is more profitable." We aim to provide services that balance both economic viability and environmental sustainability, and to shift the whole industry's mindset.

Create a future where upcycling is the norm We will take every possible measure.
Further refinement of technology, launching our own brand, establishing an industry association, expanding the use of Gulurico® beyond food, and exploring international markets — through these efforts, we will collaborate with numerous stakeholders to build up a new circular food cycle.
ASTRA FOOD PLAN aims to create a sustainable society where resource circulation through upcycling becomes the norm together with you.

CEO Chihiro Kano

Company Overview

Company Name
ASTRA FOOD PLAN Co.,Ltd.
Address

<Head office・AFP Laboratory>

1-10-26 Tsurusehigashi, Fujimi City, Saitama 354-0024, Japan


<Satellite office>

Otemachi Bldg. 9F, 1-6-1 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0004, Japan

AgVenture Lab
CEO
Chihiro Kano
Established
August 3, 2020
Capital
100 million yen
Our Business
Research, development, and sales of food processing machinery
Development, production, and sales of food products
Consulting for food-related business

Access

Head office・AFP Laboratory
Satellite office