Japan: Food Processing Ingredients

In 2020, Japan’s food processing industry manufactured $218.3 billion of food and beverage products, down 1.1 percent from $220.8 billion in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic limited dining out and led to increases in home cooking. With that, large drops in the production values of soft drinks, juices, water, and alcoholic beverages were nearly offset by growth in wheat flour, dairy, health foods, and convenience or ready-to-eat foods. The pandemic further contributed to the decade-long upward trend in frozen food consumption, which has jumped from $5.56 billion in 2010 to $6.57 billion in 2020. The United States is Japan’s number one agricultural trading partner and has a reputation for being a reliable supplier of safe and high-quality foods.