Against a backdrop of labor shortages and the need to save space in the food-service industry, the use of AGF® Professional powdered drinks is expanding, with benefits including lower costs and more efficient inventory management. The article outlines an example of adoption at an operating restaurant, product features and future development.
The food-service industry is facing pressure to optimize costs and improve operational efficiency as raw material and logistics costs rise. In response, 味の素AGF is proposing the use of powdered drinks through its food-service brand, “AGF® Professional.”
Powdered drinks are dissolved in water, reducing the burden of storage space and improving operational efficiency by allowing only the required quantity to be prepared. Compared with bottled beverages, they also offer environmental and logistics benefits, including lower plastic use and a longer shelf life.
As an example from a user restaurant, “然,” an Italian bar in Shinjuku Sanchome, offers oolong tea as a standard item and has developed it into the creative menu item “Oolong Tea & Gorgonzola Ice Cream.” Blind testing also rated the taste favorably, with results indicating quality equivalent to or better than that of the conventional product.
Future expansion is expected in both applications and markets, including fruit-based powdered drinks such as orange, mango and apple, as well as adoption for hotel breakfast buffets. Through “AGF® Professional,” AGF aims to help address challenges faced by food-service establishments and create social value.