FPPL focuses on developing and supplying delectable and healthy plant protein foods for vegans, vegetarians, and flexitarians, as well as regular meat lovers seeking a reduction of animal-foods. FPPL provides marketing and sales support for plant-oriented food ingredients in the U.S. for Japan-based Fuji Oil Holdings, Inc. Mr. Shiraishi has been involved in the nutrition industry more than 30 years in both the U.S. and Japan. He has established five companies in North America motivated to provide only the best nutritional products for health-conscious people.

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Health E-Insights: Is it the patented process that makes your soy cheese so special?
 
Mr. Shiraishi: Yes. Our soy cheese product is made with cultured (lactic acid) low-fat soy milk and along with our proprietary technology offers an enhanced flavor and a savory aroma into our cheese alternative that’s perfect for pizza and other food recipes.
 
Health E-Insights: What special attributes do your products possess?
 
Mr. Shiraishi: Our new soy milk ingredients, including soy milk cream and low-fat soy milk are created by using world’s first patented Ultra Soy Separation manufacturing method developed by Fuji Oil. The soy is separated by utilizing a method used to separate fresh milk. This process of clear separation is made possible by using Fuji Oil’s unique separation and fractionation technology. Furthermore, Fuji Oil developed a healthy and delicious cheese alternative from low-fat soy milk with lactic acid bacteria. This unique product cannot be made with ordinary soy milk. It’s a key part of our patented process.
 
Health E-Insights: Where are the products manufactured?
 
Mr. Shiraishi: The proprietary separation and fermentation technology of our soy milk is conducted at our facility in Japan. The final processing of our soy cheese products are manufactured in the U.S.
 
Health E-Insights: What health benefits do your products offer? 
 
Mr. Shiraishi: We use all plant-based ingredients in our products with clean label. It’s cholesterol-, gluten-, and GMO-free as well as what we refer to as simple, natural ingredients.
 
Health E-Insights: Most soy cheese products don’t melt well. What about yours?
 
Mr. Shiraishi: Our soy cheese melting performance is much better in comparison with other plant-based cheese products currently available.   
 
Health E-Insights: What other products do you offer?
 
Mr. Shiraishi: Ko-cream is a new soy milk cream that enhances the flavors of and adds a new dimension of deliciousness to various foods from a variety of global cultures. Made from soybeans, Ko-cream has fewer calories than dairy cream. It pairs wonderfully with fruit and vegetables and can be used for a wide-range of purposes where cream is called for in the cooking process. Ko-cream also provides reliable thickness and body while bringing out the inherent flavors of other ingredients. Another FPPL product is textured soy protein, Mame-plus M, made possible by Fuji Oil’s proprietary development technology and advanced research on soy protein; this textured soy protein can be used as an alternative meat product. We are now developing mung bean protein Isolate called Glucodia, which should suit the audience who cannot use soy ingredients. We can offer mung bean protein isolate with a minimum 80% protein as food ingredients for bakery items and condiments as an egg substitute, since it has very smooth textures and works better than pea protein.
 
Health E-Insights: How do you use soy cheese in the foods you eat?
 
Mr. Shiraishi: Our hard type soy cheese is perfect as a pizza topping. Our cream type of soy cheese can be used as a spread on breads or crackers and used in salad dressing recipes, or as a condiment with a wide-range of foods. 
 
Health E-Insights: Where are your product sold?
 
Mr. Shiraishi: We currently are only sold in the food service category and other business-to-business categories such as food manufacturers for inclusion as ingredients in finished products.

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Sheldon Baker is CEO of the Baker Dillon Group LLC and has created numerous nutraceutical brand marketing communications and public relations campaigns for many well-known supplement and food industry companies. For Health E-Insights interview consideration or brand marketing consulting, contact him at SBaker@BakerDillon.com.