Plant Factory - Aizufujikako Co., Ltd. -

We produce leaf lettuce with the following characteristics;

Low potassium

The vegetables achieves a 75 - 85% cut of potassium content compared with general leaf lettuce, which makes it possible for those who are restricted from eating raw vegetables under dietary instruction to enjoy raw lettuce following the guidance of managerial dieticians.

Pesticide-free cultivation

Since the plants are grown inside a closed factory, there is no need to use pesticides to counter harmful insects. Furthermore, we prevent contamination by scanning the product with a metal detector to ensure the safety of all people, from children to the elderly.

Low bacteria

Since there are few bacteria on the vegetables grown inside a closed factory, the vegetables can retain their freshness for about 2 weeks in a refrigerator, which makes them suitable for exportation.

Low nitrate nitrogen

In addition to potassium, the agent causing the bitter taste of lettuce, i.e., nitrate nitrogen, is removed as much as possible which makes the taste mild to the extent that you can even sense a certain sweetness. This taste leads to a high number of repeat customers.

As a part the effort to ensure safety and quality, regular inspections by the external agencies are undertaken on the following items:

• Analysis of components
• Bacteria tests
• Radioactive tests
• Nutrient solution tests

We developed an original packaged layout and design which maximizes productivity by optimizing the efficiency of cultivation and working space for employees based on our own experience of operating plant factories. The plant factory can be installed in various types of space.

We achieved the world's first mass production of functional vegetable with low potassium, which dialysis patients or kidney disease patients under potassium-intake restrictions can safely eat. This is a unique product which can serve all those who are suffering from dietary restrictions not only in Japan but also all around the world.

Currently, there are 0.3 million dialysis patients, 2 million potential dialysis patients, and 15 million of patients with kidney disease in Japan. This means 1 of 10 Japanese are suffering from renal disease, and most of them are following dietary instructions to restrict their intake of raw vegetables and fruit which are rich in potassium. Furthermore, it is said that there are 2 million dialysis patients and 0.6 billion kidney disease patients around the world who need to follow dietary restrictions similar to the ones imposed on Japanese patients. Our vegetable is an innovative product which will change the boundaries of what is edible and what is not for such patients. We are now researching and developing our lineup of low potassium fruit and vegetables including melons, tomatoes, and strawberries in the hope that more people can enjoy the pleasure of having the same food as their family when dining, or having the fruit and vegetables they wish.

Functional foods like our vegetable will not take away from the market of farmers or compete with the price of their products, since its market is different from the general market for vegetables that are produced and distributed by farmers.

We obtained the ISP22000:2005, ISO 9001:2008, and ISO14001:2004 standards.

It is also possible to support dialysis patients under circumstances like that of the Great East Japan Earthquake where dialysis treatment is not available, by preparing a system to distribute low-potassium lettuce as an emergency relief supply across Japan.