Recently Chokatsu (lit. care for the gut) has been garnering attention. It refers to maintaining a healthy gut environment for health and beauty. Mitsubishi Shokuhin has launched the Happiness Chokatsu series, introducing five new processed food products and three confections under the health brand "Karada Shift".The Happiness Chokatsu series is the third installment of products following the first Low Carb and the second PROTEIN PLUS.

Yohei Matsumoto, (Product Planning Group No. 2, Domestic Products Development Division, Office in Charge of Products, Mitsubishi Shokuhin) who was involved in the development of confectionery such as the Raisin Sandwich, Milk Pound Cake, Konjac Jelly Mix, and Kaho Iwanami (Unit A, Product Planning Group No. 1, Domestic Products Development Division, Office in Charge of Products, Mitsubishi Shokuhin) who was involved in the development of processed foods such as Sesame Soy Milk Tan-Tan Soup, Sam Gae Tan, Pork Soup, Mushroom Potage, and Oatmeal, spoke about the background and their thoughts behind the development.

"The term Chokatsu is recognized more than we first thought, and it has become effective in appealing to the public ."
Mr. Matsumoto says he's received feedback from customers such as "I like the fact that it's an easy way to get lactic acid bacteria and dietary fiber." and "The products are good for me as I was concerned about gut health." The theme of the Happiness Chokatsu is the correlation between mind and body.

At the planning stage, our research on the term Chokatsu led us to understand that a good gut environment supports your physical health and has mental benefits. Concurrent research on dietary fiber led us to the term "Gut-Brain Connection",which postulates that continued mental stress can cause a disturbance in the gut environment, meaning that there is a correlation between the gut and the brain. With advice from Risa Kirimura, a doctor and representative director of Tenrai Inc., we formulated the products with dietary fiber (soluble, insoluble) (7g or more per meal, 3g or more for snacks) and Happiness Lactic Acid Bacteria^® (1 billion or more per day).

What is the Gut-Brain Connection?
A disturbance in the gut environment can cause a worsened mental state
Continued stress can cause a disturbance in the gut environment

Aiming to create a healthy body and mind with Chokatsu!
We are aiming to enrich the quality of people's lives through "Karada Shift".

Our product line targets women in their 20s and 30s and is designed to be easy to consume daily. Some top-rated products include our soft Milk Pound Cake made with Hokkaido milk, our Sesame Soy Milk Tan-Tan Soup made with creamy soy milk and spicy chili peppers, and our Sam Gae Tan, with the gentle taste of chicken and the strong flavor of ginger.

"We released confectionery for the first time under the "Karada Shift" series. As confectionery is an indulgence, people won't buy healthy confectionery unless it tastes good. That is why we were not prepared to put products on sale unless they tasted good. Adding dietary fiber to food can cause dryness. Still, after many trials and errors, we were able to achieve the soft texture of pound cake." (Matsumoto)

We added oatmeal, which has gained popularity recently as a healthy food, to our Sesame Soy Milk Tan-Tan Soup and Sam Gae Tan.

"As some people don't know how to enjoy oatmeal, we thought adding it to cup soup would allow people to enjoy it easily. This thick soup is easy to make by simply pouring hot water over the oatmeal, which is in a small bag, and the powdered soup. It also contains a rich variety of five vegetables." (Iwanami)

How consumers view health and food is said to have changed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although health consciousness had already been on the rise, we have seen an increased desire to stay healthy. Amid these trends, we are aiming to improve not only physical, but also mental health, including stress and sleep, with Happiness Chokatsu. We consider the relationship between food and health to be very closely related. We are leading the health food sector with the "Karada Shift" series, including Low Carb and PROTEIN PLUS. We cover a wide range of categories, including frozen food, side dishes, dressings, and beverages, as well as food and confectionery stored at room temperature.

"With healthy eating, perseverance is key. Our strength lies in the fact that we have a wide range of foods so that customers will not get bored even if they eat "Karada Shift" foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner." (Iwanami)

"With "Karada Shift" we have a very high rate of repeat customers, so we want to focus on creating opportunities for initial purchases by new customers and strengthen the initial appeal points with the promotion team." (Matsumoto)

Try Chokatsu and spend every day with health and happiness.