Japan takes to Kiwi Crush

Media Release
Wednesday, 12 May 2004

Japan takes to Kiwi Crush

Kiwi Crush will be launched in the Japanese market later this year according to an announcement by Bruce Donaldson a spokesperson for Vital Food Processors Ltd, the manufacturers of Kiwi Crush.

Yoshitaka Koshimura, spokesman for Nikken Seil the New Zealand subsidiary of Nikken Foods of Japan confirmed today that the agreement negotiated by the company’s founder the charismatic Dr Hiritomo Ochi during his visit to New Zealand in March, will proceed.

Mr Donaldson said “that under the agreement Nikken Foods will be the exclusive importer and distributor of Kiwi Crush in Japan. Their initial order is for 2 x 20 ft shipping containers which will be used to gauge the Japanese market’s interest in the product”

He described Kiwi Crush as “a frozen kiwifruit juice which won four food industry awards in 1992 including the National Heart Foundation Award and is stocked by all major supermarkets in New Zealand. It is used by a number of hospitals and recommended by many doctors and dieticians as a natural way to prevent and relieve the discomfort of digestive disorders.”

In response to an inquiry from ‘round the world’ yacht racing crews for a shelf stable product that could be carried in boats without freezer facilities, Vital Foods developed a freeze-dried version of its frozen Kiwi Crush. It is this freeze-dried version called Kiwi Crush Dry that Nikken will be marketing in Japan.

Vital Foods expects sales of Kiwi Crush Dry to Japan will exceed $NZ1 million dollars in the first full year of trading.

END

Background information.

Vital Food Processors Ltd is a privately owned Auckland based company that specialises in processing fruit into high value products and is one of the largest freeze-driers of fruit in Australasia.

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