Fuji Oil Introduces Plant-Based Dashi Range for Food Service in Japan – vegconomist

Japan’s Fuji Oil has introduced MIRA-Dashi, a line of plant-based broths for food service operators to replace animal-based dashi in Japanese, Chinese, and Western recipes.

Traditional dashi, a stock made with kombu seaweed and bonito flakes, is the subtle ingredient in Japanese cuisine that defines and enriches ramen soups, sauces, and dressings, according to experts. Revered for its umami essence, it acts as a magical base in recipes by accentuating, enhancing, and harmonizing all the flavors in a dish.

MIRA-Dashi’s range includes bonito and various meat flavors crafted using MIRACORE, a technology developed by the company’s R&D team. This innovation is said to mimic the flavor of animal ingredients to enhance the appeal of plant-based menus, making them more attractive to health-conscious consumers while catering to vegetarians, vegans, and other dietary restrictions.

In addition, MIRA-Dashi allows for salt reduction in dishes due to its satisfying taste, as demonstrated by in-house research. It is also suitable for improving the taste of cold menus, which are traditionally challenging to flavor.

Understanding consumer preferences

Based in Osaka, Fuji Oil has worked with soy protein for over 50 years. The firm leverages its expertise in emulsification, the Maillard reaction, and Japan’s fermentation tradition to enhance flavor satisfaction. It has an extensive portfolio, from binding agents to replace egg protein to textured soy protein for plant-based meat using its MIRACORE technology.

At its research and development center in Izumisano, the team focuses on understanding consumer preferences in plant-based products, employing multiple procedural methods and extensive trial-and-error testing.

Besides MIRACORE, Fuji Oil has developed a patented specialized Ultra-Soy Separation process for plant-based dairy that eliminates soy’s beany flavor while retaining its natural taste. The company has introduced cream and semi-hard plant-based cheeses for bakers and sweets manufacturers using this process.

Growing interest in plant-based foods

Fuji Oil, along with two other Japanese companies, Amano Enzyme, and Nissin Foods Holdings, ranked in the top 20 list of worldwide organizations filing patents related to technologies and methods to produce alternatives to animal products (as of April 2024), signaling the growing interest for plant-based foods.

In fact, Tsutomu Saito, the general manager of Fuji Oil’s fundamental seasoning business department, told SeafoodSource that post-pandemic tourism in Japan has driven demand for plant-based foods, particularly from tourists looking for vegetarian, vegan, and halal options, also referred to as “diversity foods” in the Japanese food service industry.

“The demand for PBF (plant-based foods) is increasing worldwide from the perspective of environmental issues, health awareness, and food barrier-free options. In Japan, the importance of PBF as an inbound measure has been re-recognized for the Osaka-Kansai Expo in 2025,” MIRA-Dashi states on its website.