Source: Seven Eleven website, Nikkei MJ 11/17/2023
Seven Eleven Japan example; Big retailers in Japan is willing to be leader in environmentally friendly products.
Seven-Eleven Japan is significantly expanding its eco-friendly “Mirai Deli” product line, featuring plant-based curries, pasta, and menchi katsu. The product range will quadruple from its initial July launch, with an emphasis on sustainable raw material sourcing to meet the demand of environmentally conscious youth. Developed in collaboration with DAIZ, Mirai Deli started with items like tuna mayo onigiri, nuggets, and salads but is continuously expanding due to high demand.
New additions, like Keema Curry and Goma Soy Milk Tan Tan Men, incorporate plant-derived ingredients and are gradually rolling out from late October to introduce a total of 13 new products by late November. Seven-Eleven aims for nationwide sales but may limit some items to specific regions like Tokyo.
The company also sells salads from plant factories, ensuring a stable vegetable supply. Plans include expanding the handling of GAP-certified vegetables, reinforcing Mirai Deli’s environmental focus alongside social and economic values.
Competitor Lawson is also developing plant-based products, such as soy milk and oat roll cakes and soy protein nuggets, available for a limited time in Natural Lawson stores around Tokyo.
Lawson’s innovative move includes sandwiches made with plant-based alternative eggs, a first in the industry, addressing egg shortages due to avian influenza. While authentic ingredients are still in demand, the rising interest in plant-based foods aligns with the pursuit of sustainability, with the success of these products depending on support from both young and middle-aged consumers.
What is Mirai(future) issues?
Mirai Deli concept
” We are now called upon to act with care for the earth as times and the environment change.To ensure that the foodstuffs we take for granted on our dinner tables will be available for future generations,
Our commitment to a sustainable society is becoming more and more important every year.
- Decrease in food self-sufficiency
- Decrease in producers
- Global protein shortage
We will tackle the issue of a sustainable society and take action one by one.
Even if each step is small, if we continue our efforts, the “future” will begin to change. As a company that provides food to many people, we will continue to take this issue seriously. ”