A History of Pursuing Food Safety and Security
Meiko Foods Corporation has its roots in the single-head bonito fishing industry that dates back to the Edo period. The corporate spirit of single-line bonito fishing that protects the quality and environment, which was recognized by the MSC fishery certification, and the patents for the production methods of straw-roasted tataki and garlic steak, are the tangible and intangible assets that have been cultivated during the Tosa Bonito Fisheries era, and which Meihiro Foods has inherited to deliver safe and secure food products.
History of Meiko Foods Corporation and Hiroyuki Myojin
| 1946年7月 | Born as the third son of Kameji Myojin |
| 1986年3月 | Established the processing division of Myojin Suisan Co. |
| 1995年12月 | The single bonito straw-roasted tataki business achieved 2 billion yen in sales. |
| 1996年9月 | Dismissed and retired from Myojin Suisan Co. |
| 1996年9月 | Establishes Tosa Katsuo Suisan Co. |
| 1997年3月 | Opened a fish processing plant in Yaizu City, Shizuoka Prefecture. Supplies straw-roasted tataki to Daiei |
| 1997年12月 | Sales of 180 million yen in 1997 |
| 1998年12月 | “Straw-roasted bonito tataki” process patented internationally. |
| 2002年3月 | Tuna bowl product developed and sold to co-ops nationwide |
| 2009年11月 | Obtains MSC fishery certification, the first in the world. Obtained MSC Fishery Certification for single-line bonito fishing. Exhibited at the Boston Seafood Show in the U.S. |
| 2010年2月 | Garlic steak manufacturing process patent application filed. |
| 2010年9月 | Started MSC canned bonito export business plan with ITOCHU Corporation for Europe and the U.S. (10,000 tons/year, 10,000 tons/year, 10,000 tons/year) (10,000 tons per year, annual sales of 5 billion yen) |
| 2010年10月 | Senior Managing Director Hirotoshi Myojin passes away. |
| 2010年11月 | “MSC Bonito Garlic Steak” developed by Hirotoshi Myojin, Senior Managing Director, receives the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award. |
| 2010年12月 | FY2010 sales amount: 4.93 billion yen Sales to: Japan Consumers’ Co-operative Union, Ito-Yo Card, Aeon, mass merchandisers nationwide, Marubeni, ITOCHU, etc. |
| 2011年3月11日 | 2011: The Sanriku Earthquake occurred on the day the contract for manufacturing MSC canned bonito was concluded at Kesennuma Canning, an affiliate of ITOCHU Corporation. All facilities related to Kesennuma were destroyed, destroying the canning business. |
| 2012年5月6日 | Tosa Katsuo Suisan Co., Ltd. goes out of business due to difficulties in selling single-head bonito. |
| 2013年2月22日 | Establishment of Meiko Foods Co. |
| 2013年10月 | Garlic Steak Manufacturing Method International Patent Published Garlic Steak Manufacturing Method International Patent Published |
| 2014年4月 | Garlic Steak method introduced at Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Processors (VASEP). |
| 2014年7月 | Lecture on the development of Vietnamese Pangasius high value-added products at the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Processors (VASEP) |
| 2015年4月 | Applied for “numerical value limited patent” for gel strength of Vietnamese Pangasius Surimi. |
| 2016年11月 | Patent for Vietnamese Pangasius “Kabayaki manufacturing method” filed and production started in Japan. |
| 2017年10月 | “Pangasius Kabayaki” foreign application filed in Vietnam, China, USA -> currently under examination in each country. |
| 2017年12月 | Patent registered for “Method and apparatus for manufacturing fish paste products” |
| 2017年６月 | Subsidy for SMEs Intellectual Property Activity Support Project in 2017 (“Pangasius Garlic Steak”) adopted Pangasius” for companies expanding overseas of the policy of the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency and the National Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Garlic Steak” products for overseas sales. Support subsidy funds totaling 500,000 yen |
| 2018年11月 | HP&S President Sam Dzanki tasting and sales in Hawaii In the U.S. sales field, Japanese food products were sold at more than twice the price of Chinese food products. |
| 2018年11月 | Adopted for the FY 2018 Foreign Application Support Project for Small and Medium Enterprises, etc. (Patent for “Pangasius Surimi”) Funds to support foreign (Vietnam, China, U.S.) patent application expenses for “Pangasius Surimi” for companies expanding overseas under the policy of MITI, totaling 1.2 million yen. |
| 2018年５月 | 2018 SME Intellectual Property Activity Support Project Subsidy (“Pangasius Surimi”) adopted. The subsidy funds to support overseas sales of “Pangasius Surimi” products for companies expanding overseas under the policy of the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency and the National Federation of Societies of Commerce and Industry. |
| 2019年2月 | GOTJapan Corporation President Takeda begins business with the company. |
| 2019年12月 | HUNG CA “Pangasius Skinless Fillet” Start of transactions |
| 2019年12月 | Adopted for the FY 2019 Foreign Application Support Project for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (“Pangasius Kabayaki”) Pangasius Kabayaki” patent) Funds to support foreign (to Vietnam, China, and the U.S.) patent application expenses for “Pangasius Kabayaki” for companies expanding overseas under the policy of MITI totaling 1.2 million yen. |
| 2019年６月 | Subsidy for SMEs Intellectual Property Activity Support Project in 2019 (“Pangasius Kabayaki”) Pangasius Kabayaki”) adopted. The Small and Medium Enterprise Agency and the National Federation of Societies of Commerce and Industry policy for companies that are expanding their business overseas. Pangasius Kabayaki” products for overseas The total amount of the subsidy is 500,000 yen. |
| 2020年７月 | Applied for the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries’ “Emergency Project for Establishment of Facilities for HACCP, etc. for Export”. As part of the support policy of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to promote the export of Japanese food products to foreign countries, financial assistance for the renovation and establishment of a new factory to meet the standards for export to foreign countries. |
| 2020年10月 | 2020 October 2020: Concluded confidentiality agreement and technical guidance agreement with two Vietnamese companies regarding “Pangasius Surimi” production method |
| 2020年 10月 | 2020 October: Concluded patent confidentiality agreement with TOCHAU for “ASC aquaculture certified Pangasius kabayaki” |
| 2020年11月 | 2020 November: Concluded patent confidentiality agreement with COMAY for “ASC Aquaculture Certified Pangasius Surimi®” |
| 2020年 11月 | 2020 November Ohira + Kato + Takahama + “Nasted products, kamaboko, crab sticks” sales |
| 2020年12月 | 2020 December: Started manufacturing Pangasius Surimi using patented technology with a Vietnamese company. |
| 2021年1月 | 2021 January Import and sales of “Pangasius Surimi” started from Vietnam. |
| 2021年2月12日 | 2021 February 12, 2021 “Pangasius Kabayaki” patented manufacturing method passes preliminary examination in China |
| 2021年5月７日 | 2021 May 7th Obtained COC certification for ASC Aquaculture Fisheries Certification and MSC Fisheries Certification |
| 2021年8月 | 2021 August: ASC aquaculture fishery certification, crab stick prototype completed |
| 2022年 6月 | June 2022 Horikawa Co., Ltd. “Marine Fish Eggless White Surimi” Import 40 tons/month Contract |
| 2023年 12月 | December 2023 Exported 12 tons of “Hamachi CO frozen products” to Hawaii Sam Shoji |
| 2024年 ３月 | 2024 March: Patent application started. Manufacture of Hamachi Encal flash-frozen products'' usingmethod for manufacturing frozen fish products.” |
| 2024年 5月 | 2024 May: Horikawa Co., Ltd. “Marine fish egg-free white surimi” import 60 tons/month contract |
| 2024年 5月 | 2024 May: Sukumo Bay farmed yellowtail value improvement project started |
| 2024年 5月 | 2024 May: Started exporting “Hamachi Encal flash-frozen products” to Asia. |