April 1, 2024
Japan Agriculture in Aomori Prefecture has launched an initiative to produce high-quality Wagyu beef by using apple juice pomace dried with RedoxMaster technology as feed.

The first RedoxMaster dryer in Japan, developed by Glencal Technology, has been installed at the Aomori Federation of Rural Industrial Agricultural Cooperatives (JA Aoren) in Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture. This innovative dryer dries organic matter quickly at low temperatures and with low carbon dioxide emissions. The plant uses Aomori apples to produce antioxidant-free apple juice, a high-end product that sells 11,000 bottles per day (4 million bottles annually) at Japan Railway East stations. Moreover, the juice is a very popular TV shopping item, selling 1,860,000 bottles in one day. The plant has also begun selling halal products in 2022, and exports to other countries are steadily increasing.

On April 1st, 2024, JA Aoren launched the first initiative in Japan to collect discarded coffee bean dregs from 10 convenience stores in the city. The dregs are mixed with apple pomace from the production process of premium apple juice, and then used as the combined mixture to feed Aomori Kuraishi beef, a brand of Wagyu beef in Aomori Prefecture. This project is aligned with Hirosaki City’s SDGs Future City Plan and is being implemented in collaboration with JA North Japan Kumiai Feed (headquartered in Sendai City). The aim is to reduce the environmental burden, complete the food recycling loop within the region, and add high value by recycling local resources.

More information can be found here.