25 Sep 2023
Sustainability on the Menu

It’s the company famous for creating one of the best-loved seafood snacks in the world. Now, Japanese food producer Sugiyo Co., Ltd., which invented the ever-popular crab stick, is trying to create a brighter and more balanced future by highlighting issues of sustainability and supply. The firm is utilizing its skills and experience in the culinary world to help address the food implications of climate change and population growth and is actively looking at new ingredients and sources of protein to satisfy customer demand well into the future. The business, famous for its motto “Healthy and Happy,” dates back to the 17th-century fish wholesale industry. This vast experience is poured into every plate served up today, such as the new, affordable and accessible Unakama-chan eel-style fish cake. Strong emphasis is being placed on finding new sources of protein for the menu. The firm’s president, Tetsuya Sugino, aims to channel the firm’s research and development expertise into areas such as fishing stock management and climate change. “We always try to have a ‘challenging spirit’ when it comes to product development, but right now, we are at a turning point because many countries are seeing shortages of food, especially as the world population is trending towards 10 billion people in the future,” said Sugino. The company is also looking to increase its global footprint and establish itself in North American and European markets with plant-based and protein-replacement foods, while also planning to enter halal markets. The Sugiyo leadership plans to build on this with locally staffed production plants in overseas markets. “Instead of just selling products alone, we sell them with a story so you can experience Japan’s food culture alongside local ingredients. Our aim is to sell and share culture, rather than goods,” said Sugino.