Next Meats Co., the Tokyo-headquartered distributor of vegan Japanese barbecue meat analogues marketed as the NEXT Yakiniku series, as well as NEXT Gyudon vegan beef bowls and alternative egg products, has announced construction plans for an eco-friendly production facility called the “NEXT Factory” in Niigata, Japan.
Slated to begin operations next summer, the plant will be a one-stop hub dedicated to alternative protein products featuring a research and development laboratory as well as production lines. Specifically dedicated to the development of alternative proteins, the large-scale facility’s design will incorporate DX systems in addition to solar panels and other sustainable technologies.
Company founders Hideyuki Sasaki and Ryo Shirai aim to further stabilize the global supply chain of Next Meats products while lowering retail costs and strengthening R&D capacities. In a July 30 press conference, Shirai voiced strong determination to “give back to his hometown and the Niigata prefecture,” and his desire to contribute to and lead the alternative protein industry from Niigata.
Next Meats is working with a construction firm that uses materials sourced from the local area, and is scheduled to co-produce a new product with Kameda Seika, which is one of the most prominent snack manufacturers in Japan. It has also recently signed a cooperative research and development agreement with Nagaoka University of Technology to study epigenetics and its new applications in developing alternative meat products.
Officially established in 2020 after several years of research and development in Japanese-style alternative meat products, Next Meats entered into a partnership with Toyota-Tsusho Corporation last December and was listed on the American OTCBB in January of 2021. The company is now active in more than nine countries.
