FDBusiness.com

Ingredients company Konjac Innov has partnered with seafood producer Thai Union on a new collaboration that will make room for the development of low-calorie and healthy ready meals.

Konjac will bring its low-calorie noodle, rice and pasta options – derived from the konjac plant, and the result of extensive product innovation and development – to the partnership.

The company has also developed a portfolio of innovative konjac food recipes that, Konjac Innov said, “set themselves apart from their competitors in the fiercely competitive marketplace”. These include a recipe known as Juroat C, which gives the konjac products a much closer resemblance to traditional pasta, noodles and rice, produced using a manufacturing methods that allows the konjac to be packed without needing to be stored in an aqueous environment. This eliminates water in the packaging, off smells, and the need for draining or rinsing on the part of the consumer.

Thai Union is a Thai-based processor of shelf-stable tuna, salmon, shrimps and other seafood.

Konjac Innov co-founder Ash Patel said: “This is a very exciting opportunity for us. Thai Union is one of the world’s largest seafood processors and we hope they will bring varieties of innovative and exciting products to the table for us.”

Pichitchai Wongpiya, general manager sales and marketing for Thai Union, added: “One of our main areas of focus in 2016 is the growth of our shelf-stable ready-to-eat meal manufacturing division. We researched many Konjac manufacturers in Asia to develop the next generation in healthy, low-calorie and carbohydrate ready meals. Konjac Innov offered us a solution that not only pushed the boundaries of Konjac innovation, but also delivers a high quality, premium product that is incredibly low calorie which is something we know our customers are looking for.”

Thai Union Group is a Thailand-based producer of seafood-based food products, founded in 1977.