Project by Venture and Large Corporation Supported by "SHIN Minato Mirai" Moves Towards Commercialization!

Kanagawa Prefecture is accelerating the growth of venture companies by utilizing "SHIN Minato Mirai," a growth promotion hub for venture companies, and implementing the "Business Accelerator Kanagawa (BAK)" initiative. This effort promotes open innovation between venture companies and large corporations and provides support for commercialization. We are pleased to announce that a project supported in fiscal year 2025 has yielded concrete results from its demonstration, and both parties will now proceed with commercialization efforts.

### Project Overview

#### Partner Companies

Toyo Medical Co., Ltd., Green House Co., Ltd. (Underlined indicates a venture company)

#### Project Name

Changing the common wisdom of salt reduction! Development of delicious salt-offset food with seaweed-derived ingredients

#### Outline

- Toyo Medical Co., Ltd. is a venture company possessing "salt offset technology," a mechanism that adsorbs salt contained in meals with seaweed-derived alginates, transforms it into a form that is difficult to absorb, and excretes it. - In collaboration with Green House Co., Ltd., which operates restaurants and employee cafeterias and possesses various cooking know-how, they developed "salt-offset menus" and "salt-offset jellies" that excrete salt without compromising taste or satisfaction, rather than "salt-reducing menus that thin out the taste." They conducted demonstrations where monitors sampled the products and measured their effectiveness and satisfaction.

### Results of the Demonstration Project

#### [Demonstration of Salt-Offset Menu Tasting Experience]

Alginates were incorporated into main dishes, side dishes, and desserts to create "salt-offset" menus without changing the salt content. 25 Green House employees and others, and 57 residents of elderly care facilities tasted the menus, and a survey was conducted.

Demonstration Results: - 86% of participants, including employees responsible for health management businesses, restaurant and hotel businesses, and registered dietitians, responded "satisfied" or "somewhat satisfied" with the menu tasting. - 75% of residents in elderly care facilities expressed a desire for continuous provision. - Conventionally, alginates had the challenge of being "difficult to dissolve in water," making cooking difficult. However, by incorporating Green House's cooking techniques and knowledge, the cooking sites reported "almost no burden in cooking."

#### [Monitoring Test of Salt-Offset Jelly]

A newly developed stick-type "salt-offset" jelly was continuously consumed by a total of 153 people, including Green House employees and prefectural government officials, for 14 days, and its effects were measured.

Demonstration Results (Comparison of effects before consumption, after 7 days, and after 14 days): - The change in sodium in urine significantly decreased by day 7 and maintained the decreased state from day 7 to day 14. This trend was particularly strong in groups with higher initial salt intake. - A tendency for "subjective perception of leg swelling" to improve compared to before consumption was confirmed. - Survey results showed that 78% indicated "purchase intent (including conditional)" and 64% indicated "continuing intent," demonstrating high potential as a new salt care option.

### Future Developments

- Moving forward, they will gradually introduce and verify the products in employee cafeterias and elderly care facilities, and also consider and develop new self-care product expansions. - They aim to realize a "society where salt intake can be controlled while eating what you want" through establishing a consortium of companies and organizations working on salt reduction, deepening cooperation with local governments, and creating new food rules and disseminating information.

### About Inquiries

For details on this initiative, please contact Toyo Medical Co., Ltd. or Green House Co., Ltd.

### [Reference 1] Toyo Medical Co., Ltd.

Address: 48-1 Shishimizu, Tomiai-machi, Minami-ku, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture Established: October 2013 Representative: Hidenori Takeshita, Representative Director and President Business Description: Development, manufacturing, and sales of food products and additives using salt-offset technology URL: https://toymedical.jp/

### [Reference 2] Green House Co., Ltd.

Address: 17F Tokyo Opera City Tower, 3-20-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Founded: April 1, 1947 (Company established: February 20, 1959) Representative: Chiaki Tanuma, Representative Director and President Business Description: Contract food services (offices, schools, elderly care facilities, etc.), restaurant and hotel management, etc. URL: https://www.greenhouse.co.jp/

### [Reference 3] Business Accelerator Kanagawa (BAK)

An initiative that creates collaborative projects between large corporations with bases in the prefecture and venture companies, and operates the "Business Accelerator Kanagawa (BAK)" council, which includes large corporations, venture companies, research institutions, and support organizations, with the aim of forming a community for open innovation. Companies in the prefecture wishing to actively engage in open innovation are invited to participate.