Taisho Pharmaceutical Holdings Co. will start selling beverages that can be stockpiled as emergency food in times of disaster, such as earthquakes and typhoons. The company has developed a long-lasting jelly drink for its Lipovitan series of energy drinks, and plans to launch it as early as late July.
The company anticipates demand from local governments and businesses that are concerned about major natural disasters.
The company has commercialized the product in collaboration with an emergency food manufacturer in Miyagi Prefecture. Special packaging has been used to extend the period leading up to its best-before date to five years at room temperature.
In order to make the drink accessible to as many people as possible, it does not contain any of the 28 items that are subject to allergy labeling. The product is made in jelly form so that the elderly, who may have difficulty swallowing solid food, can get nutrition.
The product is mainly sold to local governments, but the company also plans to sell it to the general public through its own mail order service. The Lipovitan series is famous in Japan for its catchphrase, "Fight Ippatsu!"
The series had about 46 billion yen in sales in Japan in fiscal 2020.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
