Kirin Beer and Milk in Japan
... In Japan, a country with a population that exceeds its farmable land, the importation and subsequent processing of different foods is essential. “Japan is the worlds largest net agri-food importer, purchasing 60 percent of its agri-food requirements overseas, for a total of US $31. ... In order to better understand the Japanese processed food industry as a whole, this paper will overview two staples in the Japanese diet: Kirin Beer, and milk. ... As the Japanese diet became more westernized the consumption of both beer and milk began to rise. “Current daily per capita consumption of milk is about 110g (about half a glass), much less than that of Western industrialized countries. ... Compared with rice and other traditional staples, the market for milk and other dairy products shows considerable room for growth and great potential in the future. ... A similar statement could exemplify the increase in Japanese beer consumption. ... In both the beer and milk distribution systems freshness is a serious consideration. ... Traditionally a dairy farmer would produce milk independently then send it to a production group who delivered it to a bottling company for pasteurization and processing. ... The price for a liter of milk is about 200 yen, the same as a liter of mineral water. This price has remained stable for the past 10 years making milk a truly low cost food product. There are four classifications of milk products: whole milk, processed milk, milk drinks, and semi-skimmed milk. Whole milk is 100% raw cow’s milk that has been pasteurized and homogenized. Processed milk is either condensed milk with higher fat content or low-fat milk processed for a lower fat content. Milk drinks contain 20-30% milk and are flavored with coffee or juices. Semi-skimmed milk is whole milk from which the fat has been removed. “In 2001, 32,200 domestic dairy farms with 1,726,000 dairy cows produced 8,416,878 tons of raw milk.