Japan Invention Awards Ceremony was Held Fuji Oil Co., Ltd. Received Grand Prize for the manufacturing of the soybean polysaccharide "Soyafibe"

On June 14th at the Tokyo Prince Hotel (Minato Ward, Tokyo), the 2001 Japan Invention Awards Ceremony was held and the New Material Department of Fuji Oil Co., Ltd. was awarded the "Prize of the Chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry" grand prize for the invention of a process of making soybean polysaccharide "Soyafibe."

The awards ceremony was held in the presence of His Imperial Highness Prince Hitachi and Her Imperial Highness and prizes were awarded to inventors and their families and the enterprises under which the inventions were implemented to commemorate their distinguished achievements. For Fuji Oil, five inventors were awarded the "Prize of the Chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry" grand prize from the Chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the president of Fuji Oil, Mr. Yasui, was awarded the "Invention Practice Service Prize."

The awards ceremony consisted of the "Imperial Invention Prize" (1 project), the "Grand Prize" (9 projects), the "Invention Prize" (11 projects), the "Encouragement and Distinguished Service Prize" (9 individuals), as well as the "Invention Practice Service Prize" (10 projects) as a prize for the representatives of the enterprises to which the "Imperial Invention Prize and Grand Prize" are given. Of these, occasions where persons or enterprises in the food industry have received an award have been very rare.

The water-soluble soybean polysaccharide "Soyafibe":
- Is very useful for the development of new products with a taste and feeling like never before.
- Will greatly simplify and increase the efficiency of manufacturing processes.
- Will meet the needs for natural and healthy products (with a feeling of safety and security).
- Will bring out new possibilities with the combination of other functionary additives.

Fuji Oil is proceeding with the development of new and unique materials, and this water-soluble soybean polysaccharide will become the core of functionary additives for foods business. Current applications for the new product are as a protein dispersion stabilizer for acidic milk beverages and as an anti-binder and anti-hardener for rice and noodles. It has been twenty years since a new kind of stabilizer has been invented in the industry and as a stabilizer for acidic milk beverages, it is already being used at the second largest quantity following pectin.