## Agriculture, Forestry, Fishery and Livestock, Food

## Life Sciences

# A New Fermented Food made of Soybeans and Sprouted Brown Rice

Keyword: Tempeh, Sprouted Brown Rice, Macrobiotics

## Organizations Involved

○ Mr. Eihachiro Kato, Full-time instructor; School of Agriculture, Meiji University

○ Mrs. Michiko Takita, Natural food coordinator

○ Mr. Hajime Shinone, CEO, Life support Inc.

## 【Abstract】

A full-time instructor, Mr. Kato, School of Agriculture at Meiji University, with a natural food coordinator, Mrs. Takita, succeeded in producing a new fermented food called "tempeh with sprouted brown rice" that has ideal nutrient balance on protein, fat and carbohydrates, and Meiji University filed patent applications. The food is highly nutritious because it contains fermentation products derived from tempeh fungus as well as nutrients from soybeans and sprouted brown rice. Meiji University Intellectual Property Center, a government-approved TLO, concluded licensing agreements with Life support Inc.

## [Summary of the technology transfer]

## Technological Impact

Soybean food fermented by tempeh fungus is popular in Indonesia. The food is made of only soybeans; therefore, it has a problem with nutritional imbalance, especially excess of fat and protein. See figure 2. To improve nutrient balance, carbohydrate, e.g., brown rice, should be added to regular tempeh. Although brown rice has never been fermented, Mr. Kato found that the food containing sprouted brown rice in stead of brown rice could be fermented by utilizing his fermentation techniques.

## Market Impact

Since the fermented food has the following features, we consider that its market is promising not only in Japan but also in European countries and the United States.

1. No smells and not sticky like Japanese fermented soybeans called “natto.”

2. Never get out of shape when sliced.

3. Better than regular tempeh in terms of the nutrient balance, flavor and texture.

4. A complete food

5. Broader range of food application besides marinated food.

Special Features of the Collaboration

Mr. Kato, a specialist of fermentation; Mrs. Takita, a natural food coordinator; and Life support Inc., being quite familiar with health food, have closely worked together. Also, some faculty members in School of Commerce and Political Science & Economics have assisted their sales promotion. This collaboration is reaping a benefit of our style of collaboration called “humanities-science fusion.”

Mr. Kato

Mrs. Takita

Mr. Shinone

## Project Background

Life support Inc. tried to find new promising food in macrobiotic point of view. Mrs. Takita informed Mr. Kato of this fact, and soon after they held a meeting with Life support Inc. to start new research collaboration.

## Funding History

Since 2004, awarded the JST’s patent application support system

## I ntellectual property protection

Registration of patent in Japan "Fermented food," Patent #3859014.

International patent publication: WO2005/060765, supported by the JST's patent application support system.

Fig. 1 Pictures of tempe with sprouted brown rice

Fig. 2 Nutrient comparison

## Turning point in the Project

○Needs of licensee candidates should be matched with seeds of university.

○Based on mutual trust, university faculty should assist licensees to solve further technical problems and to promote their sales.

○Licensees should have a strong will to succeed.