[Co-op Deli] 'CO-OPDELI ONE DISH Corn and Cabbage Potage' Wins Grand Prix at Japan Food Selection!
Co-op Deli's upcycled soup, 'Corn and Cabbage Potage', won the Grand Prix, the highest award at the Japan Food Selection. The product was highly evaluated for balancing food waste reduction with delicious taste.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 15, 2026 at 21:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 15, 2026 at 12:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 08:04 (91h 32m after Collected)
Co-op Deli Consumers' Co-operative Union (Headquarters: Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture; Representative Director: Shin Kumazaki; comprising 6 consumer co-ops in the Kanto and Shinetsu regions; hereinafter "Co-op Deli Union") announced that its upcycled soup, "CO-OPDELI ONE DISH Corn and Cabbage Potage", has won the Grand Prix, the highest award in the "Japan Food Selection", a food and ingredient screening and certification system organized by the Japan Food Analyst Association.
This product is an "upcycled product" soup that adds new value to offcuts and unused resources generated during the food manufacturing process. As raw ingredients, it uses the "cabbage cores" that are unavoidably cut off during the salad manufacturing process. It was born from the developers' strong desire to reduce the "waste" of unused parts inevitably created in the manufacturing process and turn them into a valuable dish. Since its launch in June 2023, it has garnered wide support from union members as a product that achieves both food waste reduction and the deliciousness of the ingredients.
As of February 2025, the sales volume of the 6-product upcycled soup series has reached 793,700 packs, utilizing 16.32 tons of upcycled raw materials.
■ Product Overview
Product Name: "CO-OPDELI ONE DISH Corn and Cabbage Potage"
Contents: 180g
Shelf Life: 30 days refrigerated
Launch Date: June 2023
Price: 334 yen (tax included)
Ingredients: Corn (USA), cabbage, onion, foods made mainly from milk, vegetable oil, sugar, defatted concentrated milk, salt, wheat flour, chicken extract powder, spices / thickener (modified starch, xanthan gum), emulsifier (contains dairy components, wheat, soybeans, and chicken in some parts)
■ Product Features
This product is an upcycled soup made primarily from "cabbage cores" generated at cut vegetable factories. The focus was on extracting the value of unused parts and transforming them into better products. By carefully simmering the cabbage cores, the gentle sweetness of the cabbage blends into the rich depth of the corn, achieving a profound taste that is hard to believe comes from unused resources. Furthermore, to avoid losing the original flavor of the vegetables, a "low-temperature pasteurization method" is adopted rather than standard retort sterilization. We pursued an ease of eating that never gets tiring even if eaten every day, without using unnecessary seasoning. It is a carefully crafted dish that turns "waste" into "delicious."
■ Comment from the Co-op Deli Union Product Manager
"Turning 'waste' into the ultimate dish. This product is an upcycled soup born from the 'food circulation' initiative that Co-op Deli is working on. It is an environmentally friendly and appealing product that completely draws out the potential of ingredients that could not be fully utilized in the processing so far, transforming them into a new form. Consumers are choosing it not just 'because it leads to reducing food waste,' but 'because it is delicious,' and as a result, it leads to the reduction of food waste. We propose such an ethical and rich dining table."
■ About Japan Food Selection
Japan's first food and ingredient screening and certification system (held monthly) operated by the Japan Food Analyst Association. Based on consumer-perspective screening by approximately 23,000 food analysts, it evaluates products with consideration for "delicate tastes, preferences, and food culture unique to Japan." Screening is conducted under a strict evaluation standard covering 100 items using an absolute evaluation method. Products scoring 90 points or more receive the Grand Prix, and those scoring 80 points or more receive a Gold Award.
This product is an "upcycled product" soup that adds new value to offcuts and unused resources generated during the food manufacturing process. As raw ingredients, it uses the "cabbage cores" that are unavoidably cut off during the salad manufacturing process. It was born from the developers' strong desire to reduce the "waste" of unused parts inevitably created in the manufacturing process and turn them into a valuable dish. Since its launch in June 2023, it has garnered wide support from union members as a product that achieves both food waste reduction and the deliciousness of the ingredients.
As of February 2025, the sales volume of the 6-product upcycled soup series has reached 793,700 packs, utilizing 16.32 tons of upcycled raw materials.
■ Product Overview
Product Name: "CO-OPDELI ONE DISH Corn and Cabbage Potage"
Contents: 180g
Shelf Life: 30 days refrigerated
Launch Date: June 2023
Price: 334 yen (tax included)
Ingredients: Corn (USA), cabbage, onion, foods made mainly from milk, vegetable oil, sugar, defatted concentrated milk, salt, wheat flour, chicken extract powder, spices / thickener (modified starch, xanthan gum), emulsifier (contains dairy components, wheat, soybeans, and chicken in some parts)
■ Product Features
This product is an upcycled soup made primarily from "cabbage cores" generated at cut vegetable factories. The focus was on extracting the value of unused parts and transforming them into better products. By carefully simmering the cabbage cores, the gentle sweetness of the cabbage blends into the rich depth of the corn, achieving a profound taste that is hard to believe comes from unused resources. Furthermore, to avoid losing the original flavor of the vegetables, a "low-temperature pasteurization method" is adopted rather than standard retort sterilization. We pursued an ease of eating that never gets tiring even if eaten every day, without using unnecessary seasoning. It is a carefully crafted dish that turns "waste" into "delicious."
■ Comment from the Co-op Deli Union Product Manager
"Turning 'waste' into the ultimate dish. This product is an upcycled soup born from the 'food circulation' initiative that Co-op Deli is working on. It is an environmentally friendly and appealing product that completely draws out the potential of ingredients that could not be fully utilized in the processing so far, transforming them into a new form. Consumers are choosing it not just 'because it leads to reducing food waste,' but 'because it is delicious,' and as a result, it leads to the reduction of food waste. We propose such an ethical and rich dining table."
■ About Japan Food Selection
Japan's first food and ingredient screening and certification system (held monthly) operated by the Japan Food Analyst Association. Based on consumer-perspective screening by approximately 23,000 food analysts, it evaluates products with consideration for "delicate tastes, preferences, and food culture unique to Japan." Screening is conducted under a strict evaluation standard covering 100 items using an absolute evaluation method. Products scoring 90 points or more receive the Grand Prix, and those scoring 80 points or more receive a Gold Award.