Research and development focused on food safety, higher added value and health

「The company is working to further improve the accuracy of PIG LABO® Breeding Master, a system that uses AI technology developed through its research to detect estrus in pigs and support breeding operations, by operating it commercially at farms owned by the Nippon Ham Group and repeatedly conducting demonstration tests at various farms outside the Group.」

「The total R&D expenses of our Group for the interim consolidated accounting period were ¥1,429 million. As part of its efforts related to the materiality of stable procurement and supply of protein among the 5 materialities, the company is conducting basic research for the industrial application of cellular foods. During the interim consolidated accounting period, it developed a technology to replace the animal serum required for cell culture with food ingredients.」

「As part of its efforts related to the materiality of stable procurement and supply of protein among the 5 materialities, the company is conducting R&D on an AI-based swine farming support system. In a joint development project with the University of Miyazaki, it developed a program that estimates pig weight from 3D images acquired using a depth camera, as well as a system incorporating this technology that can estimate the weight distribution of a group of pigs, and issued a news release. As basic research related to the same materiality, the company also conducted research on the industrial application of animal cells, obtained new findings on cell separation and culture methods suitable for cellular foods, and presented the results jointly with Osaka University, its joint research partner, at the 28th annual meeting of the European Society for Animal Cell Technology (ESACT2024).」

「As part of its efforts related to the materiality of stable procurement and supply of protein among the 5 materialities, the company is conducting R&D on an AI-based swine farming support system. PIG LABO® Breeding Master, a system that detects estrus in pigs and supports breeding operations, received the Chairman's Award in the private-sector category of the Awards for Achievement in Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries Research and Development, co-sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Japan Association for the Advancement of Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries Research and Development.」

「The total R&D expenses of our Group for the six-month period ended the second quarter were ¥1,657 million. As part of its efforts related to the materiality of stable procurement and supply of protein among the 5 materialities, the company is conducting R&D on an AI-based swine farming support system. It developed a system that can estimate the weight of a group of pigs from rump width, which is known to correlate with pig weight, and reported the progress at the 131st Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Animal Science. In addition, the company received an Achievement Award from the Japanese Society of Food Microbiology for its longstanding basic research in food microbiology, the sale of its research results as testing kits, and its contribution to improving food hygiene in Japan.」

「During the fiscal year, following the inclusion of walnuts among the specified ingredients under a Cabinet Office ordinance promulgated on 9 March 2023, the company developed 2 types of test kits, a screening test kit and a rapid test kit, capable of rapidly and sensitively detecting walnut proteins in processed foods.」

「The total R&D expenses of our Group for the nine-month period ended the third quarter were ¥2,590 million.」

「In the food testing kit business, the company launched the FASTKIT Slim Crustaceans rapid food allergen test kit and worked to expand sales.」

「The company established the Social Collaboration Course in Food Futures and Aging Design at the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, effective 1 April 2022.」

「During the fiscal year, the company developed and launched IMIDEA, a food with function claims designed to support both the reduction of fatigue and the maintenance of memory.」

「The total R&D expenses of our Group for the nine-month period ended the third quarter were ¥2,497 million. During the period, the Group developed IMIDEA, a food with function claims containing the chicken-derived ingredient imidazole dipeptide (hereinafter, Imida), which has antioxidant properties, helps reduce temporary physical and mental fatigue in daily life, and helps maintain the memory of middle-aged and older people, which declines with age, meaning the ability to retain and recall information. The product was launched on the Group's own e-commerce site.」

「The total R&D expenses of our Group for the nine-month period ended the second quarter were ¥1,586 million. There were no material changes in the status of the Group's R&D activities during the period.」

「The total R&D expenses of our Group for the nine-month period ended the first quarter were ¥748 million. There were no material changes in the status of the Group's R&D activities during the period.」

「The total R&D expenses of our Group for the nine-month period ended the third quarter were ¥2,505 million. There were no material changes in the status of the Group's R&D activities during the period.」

「The total R&D expenses of our Group for the nine-month period ended the second quarter were ¥1,601 million. There were no material changes in the status of the Group's R&D activities during the period.」

「During the consolidated fiscal year, following the revision of part of the guidelines for preventing livestock infectious diseases relating to foot-and-mouth disease, announced in the Official Gazette on 11 September 2019, we began selling the “NH Immunostick Foot-and-Mouth Disease” antigen detection kit, which uses our applied immunology technology.」

「R&D expenses for the entire Group during the first nine months of the current consolidated cumulative period were ¥2,412 million. There were no material changes in the status of the Group’s R&D activities during the first nine months of the current consolidated cumulative period.」

「R&D expenses for the entire Group during the first six months of the current consolidated cumulative period were ¥1,558 million. There were no material changes in the status of the Group’s R&D activities during the first six months of the current consolidated cumulative period.」

「R&D expenses for the entire Group during the first quarter of the current consolidated cumulative period were ¥709 million. There were no material changes in the status of the Group’s R&D activities during the first quarter of the current consolidated cumulative period.」

「During the fiscal year, we developed the “NH Immunostick Foot-and-Mouth Disease” antigen detection kit using our applied immunology technology and obtained manufacturing and marketing approval for an in vitro diagnostic veterinary drug.」

「R&D expenses for the entire Group during the first nine months of the current consolidated cumulative period were ¥2,345 million. During the first nine months of the current consolidated cumulative period, the Group’s Central Research Institute and group company インターファーム㈱, in collaboration with ㈱エヌ・ティ・ティ・データ and ㈱NTTデータSBC, launched the “Smart Pig Farming Project,” an initiative to develop pig-farming management technologies using IoT and AI.」

「R&D expenses for the entire Group during the first six months of the current consolidated cumulative period were ¥1,457 million. There were no material changes in the status of the Group’s R&D activities during the first six months of the current consolidated cumulative period.」

「R&D expenses for the entire Group during the first quarter of the current consolidated cumulative period were ¥742 million. There were no material changes in the status of the Group’s R&D activities during the first quarter of the current consolidated cumulative period.」

「We also continued research on the effects of imidazole dipeptide on brain function and published a paper on the activation of nerve cells by carnosine, one type of imidazole dipeptide.」

「R&D expenses for the entire Group during the first nine months of the current consolidated cumulative period were ¥2,270 million. “Power of Imida (Powder),” a health food being developed and marketed by the Group’s Central Research Institute, obtained anti-doping certification. “Power of Imida” contains imidazole dipeptide, a chicken-derived component with a track record of joint research on exercise and fatigue conducted with universities and the National Sports Science Center, and is currently used by many top athletes. The company will continue research to develop new functions while seeking to expand demand, supported by the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the growing running population.」

「R&D expenses for the entire Group during the first six months of the current consolidated cumulative period were ¥1,490 million. “Power of Imida (Powder),” a health food being developed and marketed by the Group’s Central Research Institute, obtained anti-doping certification. “Power of Imida” contains imidazole dipeptide, a chicken-derived component with a track record of joint research on exercise and fatigue conducted with universities and the National Sports Science Center, and is currently used by many top athletes. Because doping is a highly important issue for elite athletes, we obtained the certification to create an environment in which they can consume “Power of Imida” with confidence. We will continue research to develop new functions while seeking to expand demand, supported by the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the growing running population.」

「R&D expenses for the entire Group during the first quarter of the current consolidated cumulative period were ¥658 million. There were no material changes in the status of the Group’s R&D activities during the first quarter of the current consolidated cumulative period.」

「As part of efforts to improve the accuracy and impartiality of testing, we obtained ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation for testing pesticide residues in food. To strengthen the Group’s quality assurance functions, we also established the “Central Research Institute Quality Science Center,” which began operations in fiscal 2017.」

「During the period, the Group’s Central Research Institute continued functional assessments by providing the health-functional ingredient imidazole dipeptide to many top athletes in order to accelerate research and market adoption. Incorporating the findings obtained, we relaunched “Power of Imida” as a health food beverage. We have previously demonstrated that imidazole dipeptide, which is abundant in chicken, may help alleviate fatigue and brain aging, and have promoted its market adoption. Going forward, we aim to expand demand with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the growing running population as tailwinds.」

「R&D expenses for the entire Group during the first six months of the current consolidated cumulative period were ¥1,327 million. There were no material changes in the status of the Group’s research activities during the first six months of the current consolidated cumulative period.」

「R&D expenses for the entire Group during the first quarter of the current consolidated cumulative period were ¥632 million. There were no material changes in the status of the Group’s R&D activities during the first quarter of the current consolidated cumulative period.」

「Centered on the Central Research Institute, these activities use “food safety and reliability,” “higher added value for meat and food products,” and “food and health” as key themes, conducting research and development leading to technological innovation in Group businesses and new businesses.」