Naturally Healthy Packaged Food in Japan

PROSPECTS

Honey dynamism continues

Honey maintained double-digit dynamism in 2017, as it benefited from a focus on its prebiotic qualities in the media, particularly on TV. The capacity of oligosaccharide in honey to boost the effectiveness of probiotics enabled the category to grow in tandem with the probiotic boom in yoghurt.

Olive oil’s strong growth

As with honey, a strong media focus on the health benefits of consumption played a key role in the strong expansion of olive oil during the review period. The growing interest in Italian cuisine, which is also partly founded on the healthy image of the Mediterranean diet, bolstered olive oil, which is an important ingredient in Italian food.

High fibre bread will post sales increase due to increasing product variation

Increasing interest in high fibre bread, spurred by the availability of an increasingly wide range of products, is set to be a key driver of growth in naturally healthy high fibre packaged food over the forecast period. This trend began to gain momentum during 2012-2017, with players such as convenience store chain, Lawson, frequently introducing products containing bran, while Yamazaki launched products such as 12 Koku Bread, containing 12 different types of grain, including rye, barley, spelt, sesame, millet, quinoa and pumpkin seeds, to appeal to health-conscious consumers keen to consume naturally-sourced fibres.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

A fragmented category

The importance of naturally healthy rice, which accounted for 34% of total naturally healthy packaged food value in 2017, is a major factor in the highly fragmented character of the category, in which artisanal and private label products play a prominent role. Nisshin Oillio Group continues to lead with a 6% value share thanks to the strong sales of its olive oil brand, Bosco, which benefits from a strong distribution network, which spans most store-based channels in which olive oil is sold.

Kato Bros Honey Co Ltd retains lead in NH honey, while manuka honey posted strong growth

Kato Bros Honey led sales in naturally healthy honey in 2017, with a 15% value share, with its strength supported by demand for its economy-orientated products amongst price-conscious consumers. However, the company experienced share decline annually throughout the review period as demand moved upmarket, spurred by growing interest in manuka honey.

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