Japan's largest beverage filling equipment manufacturer Shikoku Chemical has developed "Okara Resin"

Shikoku Chemical Machinery, a major Japanese food filling machine manufacturer, developed a bio-based resin "okara resin" using the soybean okara produced in its own tofu factory, and cooperated with YAMADA, a Uchiban fan manufacturer in Kagawa Prefecture, to produce "Okara Uchiwa Fan".

Shikoku Chemical Machinery is Japan's largest manufacturer of beverage filling equipment and deals in businesses such as toilet paper, plastic and other packaging materials, as well as soybean foods. Recently, it has cooperated with a chemical manufacturer to mix dried bean okara into petroleum-derived polyethylene at a ratio of 15%. From acrylic, "Okara resin" was developed.

The first step in the commercialization of "okara resin" was to cooperate with YAMADA, which produces uchiwa fans and other products, to produce "okara uchiwa fans". Each uchiwa fan uses 3.4 grams of "okara resin".

The amount of okara by-products produced by Shikoku Chemical's soy food business is almost the same as that of tofu, about 15,000 tons per year, of which about 3,000 tons are used for okara powder processed foods, cooked foods, etc., and the rest are recycled by industrial waste operators as Fertilizer, feed or burning treatment. The development of "okara resin" will help reduce the waste of okara and is expected to expand its use as a raw material for food containers.