[Ministry of the Environment Model Project Adopted Project] Delivering Untapped Fresh Food to Children's Tables. Demonstration Results of Food Matching Platform "Sutenasu" Released
Nessu Inc. has released the results of a demonstration experiment for its food matching platform, "Sutenasu," which aims to solve food loss and child poverty by delivering unsold fresh food to children's tables. The initiative, adopted by the Ministry of the Environment, showed a significant reduction in household expenses for beneficiaries, increased store loyalty, and positive behavioral changes towards food waste among consumers, with plans for further expansion.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 7, 2026 at 20:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 7, 2026 at 11:30
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 18, 2026 at 09:48 (262h 17m after Collected)
Nessu Inc. (Headquarters: Setagaya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Yuki Kido), which aims to eliminate opportunity gaps for children, in collaboration with Life Corporation, Tokyu Store, and the Sustainable Food Chain Council, conducted a demonstration experiment of the food matching platform "Sutenasu" to address the dual social issues of food loss and child poverty.
This demonstration experiment was conducted from October 6 to November 30, 2025, as part of an initiative adopted by the Ministry of the Environment's "FY2025 Model Project for Introducing Food Loss Reduction Measures Accompanying Food Consumption Behavior."
Key Points of This Release:
1. [Household Support] Confirmed an average monthly burden reduction of ¥5,337 per beneficiary. This is equivalent to approximately 8.5% of the average food expenses for single-parent households, contributing to an increase in effective disposable income (※2).
2. [Store Loyalty] 95% of users responded that they "want to actively use participating stores for regular shopping." Social contribution promotes fan loyalty for the stores.
3. [High Matching Rate] A specific store (Life Nishikamata store) recorded a matching rate of 77.9%. Factors are being analyzed for expansion.
Background and Objectives
■Current Situation of Children's Tables: Reduced Meal Opportunities and Disparities on Holidays
As of 2021, approximately 1 in 9 children in Japan, and about 1 in 2 children in single-parent households, are in a state of relative poverty (※3)(※4). Particularly on holidays when school lunches are not provided, the reality is that one in three children go without eating two meals or fewer per day, highlighting the issue of disparities in meal frequency and nutritional intake opportunities based on family environment (※5).
■Retail Industry Challenge: The "Freshness Wall" in Donating Fresh Foods
Food retailers generate 480,000 tons of food loss annually (※6). While there is a growing movement to donate food that can no longer be sold but is still edible to children's cafeterias and similar organizations, existing systems require several days for collection and distribution. Consequently, donations have been limited to processed foods with longer shelf lives. Therefore, fresh and daily-delivered foods with short expiration or consumption dates, despite having demand for effective utilization, have largely been forced into disposal.
■Objective of This Demonstration Experiment: Connecting Challenges to Achieve Simultaneous Solutions
The food matching platform "Sutenasu" aims to connect and simultaneously solve two social issues: "the occurrence of food loss in supermarkets and other retailers" and "the food challenges faced by struggling parenting households and other groups." It has established a system to match fresh and daily-delivered foods that can no longer be sold in stores with consumers, including single-parent households, scholarship students, and organizations like children's cafeterias, selling them at a lower price in real-time and providing them in a timely manner. This enables a cycle of "delivering today's surplus from stores to today's children's tables."
Through this demonstration experiment, we verified the implementation of a sustainable food circulation model by aiming to achieve both a reduction in food loss and the promotion of social welfare.
"Sutenasu" Demonstration Experiment Overview
Duration: October 6 - November 30, 2025
Participating Stores: Life (Takezukacho, Nishikamata, Chitose-Karasuyama), Tokyu Store (Nakameguro Honten)
Products Offered: Agricultural products (vegetables, fruits), daily-delivered foods, fishery products (salted dried fish), processed meat products, and in-store bakery items with expiration/consumption dates on the same day that can no longer be sold in stores. ※Fishery products, processed meat products, and in-store bakery items only at select stores.
Offered Price: 60-75% off the regular store price. For those who can confirm receipt of child-rearing allowance or scholarship with a recipient certificate, an additional 50% discount is applied through "social pricing" (※7).
■Demonstration Experiment Achievements
During the demonstration period, 428 people registered as users (82 of whom made purchases), and the following results were confirmed.
①Changes in Food Waste Volume:
An average of 42% (by weight) of products listed on the platform were matched. By product category, in-store bakery items (86%) and processed meat (66%) showed high matching rates. Among stores, the Sutenasu Life Nishikamata store achieved a rate of 77.9% in the final week of the demonstration, approaching the target of 80%. Factors such as "balanced composition due to a wide variety of items listed," "highly visible placement," and "regional characteristics with a large young population" are presumed to have influenced this. This knowledge will be utilized as a verification item for future model development.
②Contribution to Livelihoods:
Confirmed support of an average of ¥5,337 per month per beneficiary (※1), equivalent to approximately 8.5% of the monthly food expenses for single-parent households, resulting in an increase in effective disposable income through reduced food expenditure (※2). In a user survey (60 respondents), 51% responded that "the number of dishes increased/became more substantial" and 29% responded that "they ate at home more often." 72% expressed a desire to "use it again."
Episodes of Changes Created by Using Sutenasu
* Could purchase fish, fruits, and organic vegetables that were usually too expensive, and the children were delighted, saying "Delicious!"
* Because it was purchased at a good price, we could add more side dishes, spend money on other foods that we had been holding back on, leading to nutritious meals.
* Received a lot of fresh vegetables, which led to more fun times buying favorite dressings with the children.
* Used to spend a lot of time at the supermarket deliberating over menus and budgets while waiting for the children at home, but by being able to get vegetables etc. at a much lower price, we have more time to spend with the children.
* Usually only had one side dish, but by using Sutenasu, we can now make 2-3 dishes, which the children are very happy about.
* We can now add something to breakfast, and for times when we don't have much time in the morning, we can give them bread etc. to eat, so they are now eating proper breakfasts.
③Consumer Behavioral Changes:
In the user survey, 78% of Sutenasu users responded that "their interest in food loss has increased," and specific behavioral changes were observed, such as "started buying items with shorter expiration dates first," "eating purchased items completely without wasting them," and "adjusting the quantity purchased to avoid leftovers." Furthermore, 95% responded that they "want to actively use stores where Sutenasu is implemented for regular shopping," suggesting a positive effect on store loyalty.
■Comment from Yuki Kido, Representative Director of Nessu Inc.
"To deliver fresh food that would otherwise be discarded due to the 'freshness wall' to children facing difficulties, using a new system. The fact that this matching has been established suggests that we can promote community welfare while solving the negative aspect of 'occurrence of loss' that the supply chain cannot avoid in order to deliver sufficient food.
Based on this demonstration experiment, we intend to refine the business model and expand the service area."
Points for Expansion (Challenges and Improvements)
For business expansion, the following challenges have become clear.
Low Matching Rate and Securing Profitability: The overall average matching rate remained at 42%, falling short of the target (80%). It was also found that an expansion in the number of available products is necessary for business continuity.
Supply-Demand Mismatch: Issues arose from the concentrated purchases of popular items due to rapid sell-outs and low matching rates for vegetables and daily-delivered foods.
Discrepancy with Organizational Needs: Children's cafeterias and other organizations did not make purchases because the products available each day were unknown, and the offering of small quantities of many items did not align with their operational needs.
Future Improvement Measures
To improve convenience and ensure business continuity, we will implement the following improvements.
Expansion of Lineup: Increase the number of products on the platform by collaborating with other stores.
Provision of Fair Purchase Opportunities: Introduce a system with a monthly purchase limit for subsidized prices to ensure distribution to a wider range of households.
Improvement of Service Site Convenience: Enhance the user-friendliness of the service site, such as by expanding product information.
Future Development
Although the target figures were not met, we received positive feedback from users and are confident in the social significance and needs for this demonstration experiment. After the demonstration concludes, services will continue at three stores: Life (Takezukacho, Nishikamata) and Tokyu Store (Nakameguro Honten) to improve the matching rate. The refrigerator at Life Chitose-Karasuyama store has been relocated to Life EC Sakurashinmachi store and will resume operation from March 2026.
Moving forward, we will analyze in detail the successful case at the Life Nishikamata store, which achieved a matching rate of approximately 80% (including factors like product selection, placement, and regional affinity), and consider the possibility of creating a model for expansion to other stores. Through these improvements, we aim to establish a business model and expand to retailers not only in the Tokyo metropolitan area but also to regional areas and nationwide.
"Sutenasu" Official Website Here
https://sutenasu.com/
※1: Refers to households receiving child-rearing allowance, scholarship students, and organizations like children's cafeterias.
※2: Calculated based on the "Survey Research on Household Income and Expenditure Status of Single-Parent Households and Others" from the FY2024 Child and Child-Rearing Support Promotion Survey Research Project.
※3: Relative poverty refers to a state where the annual disposable income per person in a household is less than half of the overall median for Japan (¥1.27 million in 2021) (Poverty rate figures are based on new standards from 2018).
※4: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare "2022 (Reiwa 4) National Survey of Family Income and Expenditure."
※5: Certified NPO Good Neighbors Japan "White Paper on the Real Voices of Single-Parent Households."
※6: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries "Amount of Business-Related Food Loss (Estimated Value for 2023)"
※7: "Social Pricing" is a coined term that refers to a unique paid provision concept designed based on the costs necessary for business continuity, for foods and daily necessities that are still sufficiently usable but difficult to provide through regular prices or sales channels. The target recipients are limited to "households and organizations in need of support." Prices are set at a level that allows for continuous supply while reducing the burden on users.
Nessu Inc. Overview
Representative Director: Yuki Kido
Established: June 10, 2022
Location: 4-44-4 Daizawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 155-0032
URL: https://nessu.co.jp/
Business Overview:
Nessu is an impact startup aiming to realize a society where there are no disparities in opportunities for children due to their environment of birth.
By collaborating with various entities such as local governments, corporations, and individuals, we connect aspirations for children and create businesses, aiming to realize a kind society free from children suffering from disparities in food and experiences.
This demonstration experiment was conducted from October 6 to November 30, 2025, as part of an initiative adopted by the Ministry of the Environment's "FY2025 Model Project for Introducing Food Loss Reduction Measures Accompanying Food Consumption Behavior."
Key Points of This Release:
1. [Household Support] Confirmed an average monthly burden reduction of ¥5,337 per beneficiary. This is equivalent to approximately 8.5% of the average food expenses for single-parent households, contributing to an increase in effective disposable income (※2).
2. [Store Loyalty] 95% of users responded that they "want to actively use participating stores for regular shopping." Social contribution promotes fan loyalty for the stores.
3. [High Matching Rate] A specific store (Life Nishikamata store) recorded a matching rate of 77.9%. Factors are being analyzed for expansion.
Background and Objectives
■Current Situation of Children's Tables: Reduced Meal Opportunities and Disparities on Holidays
As of 2021, approximately 1 in 9 children in Japan, and about 1 in 2 children in single-parent households, are in a state of relative poverty (※3)(※4). Particularly on holidays when school lunches are not provided, the reality is that one in three children go without eating two meals or fewer per day, highlighting the issue of disparities in meal frequency and nutritional intake opportunities based on family environment (※5).
■Retail Industry Challenge: The "Freshness Wall" in Donating Fresh Foods
Food retailers generate 480,000 tons of food loss annually (※6). While there is a growing movement to donate food that can no longer be sold but is still edible to children's cafeterias and similar organizations, existing systems require several days for collection and distribution. Consequently, donations have been limited to processed foods with longer shelf lives. Therefore, fresh and daily-delivered foods with short expiration or consumption dates, despite having demand for effective utilization, have largely been forced into disposal.
■Objective of This Demonstration Experiment: Connecting Challenges to Achieve Simultaneous Solutions
The food matching platform "Sutenasu" aims to connect and simultaneously solve two social issues: "the occurrence of food loss in supermarkets and other retailers" and "the food challenges faced by struggling parenting households and other groups." It has established a system to match fresh and daily-delivered foods that can no longer be sold in stores with consumers, including single-parent households, scholarship students, and organizations like children's cafeterias, selling them at a lower price in real-time and providing them in a timely manner. This enables a cycle of "delivering today's surplus from stores to today's children's tables."
Through this demonstration experiment, we verified the implementation of a sustainable food circulation model by aiming to achieve both a reduction in food loss and the promotion of social welfare.
"Sutenasu" Demonstration Experiment Overview
Duration: October 6 - November 30, 2025
Participating Stores: Life (Takezukacho, Nishikamata, Chitose-Karasuyama), Tokyu Store (Nakameguro Honten)
Products Offered: Agricultural products (vegetables, fruits), daily-delivered foods, fishery products (salted dried fish), processed meat products, and in-store bakery items with expiration/consumption dates on the same day that can no longer be sold in stores. ※Fishery products, processed meat products, and in-store bakery items only at select stores.
Offered Price: 60-75% off the regular store price. For those who can confirm receipt of child-rearing allowance or scholarship with a recipient certificate, an additional 50% discount is applied through "social pricing" (※7).
■Demonstration Experiment Achievements
During the demonstration period, 428 people registered as users (82 of whom made purchases), and the following results were confirmed.
①Changes in Food Waste Volume:
An average of 42% (by weight) of products listed on the platform were matched. By product category, in-store bakery items (86%) and processed meat (66%) showed high matching rates. Among stores, the Sutenasu Life Nishikamata store achieved a rate of 77.9% in the final week of the demonstration, approaching the target of 80%. Factors such as "balanced composition due to a wide variety of items listed," "highly visible placement," and "regional characteristics with a large young population" are presumed to have influenced this. This knowledge will be utilized as a verification item for future model development.
②Contribution to Livelihoods:
Confirmed support of an average of ¥5,337 per month per beneficiary (※1), equivalent to approximately 8.5% of the monthly food expenses for single-parent households, resulting in an increase in effective disposable income through reduced food expenditure (※2). In a user survey (60 respondents), 51% responded that "the number of dishes increased/became more substantial" and 29% responded that "they ate at home more often." 72% expressed a desire to "use it again."
Episodes of Changes Created by Using Sutenasu
* Could purchase fish, fruits, and organic vegetables that were usually too expensive, and the children were delighted, saying "Delicious!"
* Because it was purchased at a good price, we could add more side dishes, spend money on other foods that we had been holding back on, leading to nutritious meals.
* Received a lot of fresh vegetables, which led to more fun times buying favorite dressings with the children.
* Used to spend a lot of time at the supermarket deliberating over menus and budgets while waiting for the children at home, but by being able to get vegetables etc. at a much lower price, we have more time to spend with the children.
* Usually only had one side dish, but by using Sutenasu, we can now make 2-3 dishes, which the children are very happy about.
* We can now add something to breakfast, and for times when we don't have much time in the morning, we can give them bread etc. to eat, so they are now eating proper breakfasts.
③Consumer Behavioral Changes:
In the user survey, 78% of Sutenasu users responded that "their interest in food loss has increased," and specific behavioral changes were observed, such as "started buying items with shorter expiration dates first," "eating purchased items completely without wasting them," and "adjusting the quantity purchased to avoid leftovers." Furthermore, 95% responded that they "want to actively use stores where Sutenasu is implemented for regular shopping," suggesting a positive effect on store loyalty.
■Comment from Yuki Kido, Representative Director of Nessu Inc.
"To deliver fresh food that would otherwise be discarded due to the 'freshness wall' to children facing difficulties, using a new system. The fact that this matching has been established suggests that we can promote community welfare while solving the negative aspect of 'occurrence of loss' that the supply chain cannot avoid in order to deliver sufficient food.
Based on this demonstration experiment, we intend to refine the business model and expand the service area."
Points for Expansion (Challenges and Improvements)
For business expansion, the following challenges have become clear.
Low Matching Rate and Securing Profitability: The overall average matching rate remained at 42%, falling short of the target (80%). It was also found that an expansion in the number of available products is necessary for business continuity.
Supply-Demand Mismatch: Issues arose from the concentrated purchases of popular items due to rapid sell-outs and low matching rates for vegetables and daily-delivered foods.
Discrepancy with Organizational Needs: Children's cafeterias and other organizations did not make purchases because the products available each day were unknown, and the offering of small quantities of many items did not align with their operational needs.
Future Improvement Measures
To improve convenience and ensure business continuity, we will implement the following improvements.
Expansion of Lineup: Increase the number of products on the platform by collaborating with other stores.
Provision of Fair Purchase Opportunities: Introduce a system with a monthly purchase limit for subsidized prices to ensure distribution to a wider range of households.
Improvement of Service Site Convenience: Enhance the user-friendliness of the service site, such as by expanding product information.
Future Development
Although the target figures were not met, we received positive feedback from users and are confident in the social significance and needs for this demonstration experiment. After the demonstration concludes, services will continue at three stores: Life (Takezukacho, Nishikamata) and Tokyu Store (Nakameguro Honten) to improve the matching rate. The refrigerator at Life Chitose-Karasuyama store has been relocated to Life EC Sakurashinmachi store and will resume operation from March 2026.
Moving forward, we will analyze in detail the successful case at the Life Nishikamata store, which achieved a matching rate of approximately 80% (including factors like product selection, placement, and regional affinity), and consider the possibility of creating a model for expansion to other stores. Through these improvements, we aim to establish a business model and expand to retailers not only in the Tokyo metropolitan area but also to regional areas and nationwide.
"Sutenasu" Official Website Here
https://sutenasu.com/
※1: Refers to households receiving child-rearing allowance, scholarship students, and organizations like children's cafeterias.
※2: Calculated based on the "Survey Research on Household Income and Expenditure Status of Single-Parent Households and Others" from the FY2024 Child and Child-Rearing Support Promotion Survey Research Project.
※3: Relative poverty refers to a state where the annual disposable income per person in a household is less than half of the overall median for Japan (¥1.27 million in 2021) (Poverty rate figures are based on new standards from 2018).
※4: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare "2022 (Reiwa 4) National Survey of Family Income and Expenditure."
※5: Certified NPO Good Neighbors Japan "White Paper on the Real Voices of Single-Parent Households."
※6: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries "Amount of Business-Related Food Loss (Estimated Value for 2023)"
※7: "Social Pricing" is a coined term that refers to a unique paid provision concept designed based on the costs necessary for business continuity, for foods and daily necessities that are still sufficiently usable but difficult to provide through regular prices or sales channels. The target recipients are limited to "households and organizations in need of support." Prices are set at a level that allows for continuous supply while reducing the burden on users.
Nessu Inc. Overview
Representative Director: Yuki Kido
Established: June 10, 2022
Location: 4-44-4 Daizawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 155-0032
URL: https://nessu.co.jp/
Business Overview:
Nessu is an impact startup aiming to realize a society where there are no disparities in opportunities for children due to their environment of birth.
By collaborating with various entities such as local governments, corporations, and individuals, we connect aspirations for children and create businesses, aiming to realize a kind society free from children suffering from disparities in food and experiences.