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By RYO IOKA/ Staff Writer

Yuki Takamura, president of Kenmin Foods Co., shows off a frozen gluten-free ramen product at the company’s headquarters in Kobe’s Chuo Ward on May 17, with an image of Masuo Onishi, who runs a ramen shop in the United States and who supervised its development, displayed in the background. (Ryo Ioka)

KOBE--Kenmin Foods Co. is selling a gluten-free, frozen package of rice-based ramen, along with soup and toppings to cater to those with wheat allergies and health-conscious people.

“There used to be high hurdles to cooking gluten-free ramen at home from scratch because gluten also exists in soy sauce,” said Kunio Tanaka, head of Kenmin Foods’ publicity department.

For the ramen, the company used the same flour as that for its core products of rice vermicelli. It also used special soy sauce with a fermentation process that does not require wheat.

A dedicated production line was newly set up in the development stage to prevent the product from being contaminated with wheat. 

Although dried gluten-free ramen noodles had previously been available in the Japanese market, the firm’s brainchild is the first gluten-free set comprising ramen, soup and other materials, according to Kenmin Foods.

The food supplier in Kobe’s Chuo Ward is looking to expand its sales in the United States with the non-gluten option.

Catering to those who have never tried ramen due to allergies and other reasons, Kenmin Foods set the goal of creating an “orthodox soy sauce ramen.”

The “kansui” alkaline water is mixed with rice flour just like ordinary ramen, giving it the elastic texture and aroma typical of that type of noodles. 

The broth is made by boiling brand-name poultry from Miyazaki Prefecture. Roast pork and pickled bamboo shoots make up the toppings.

The program started when Kenmin Foods was put in touch with Masuo Onishi, a ramen shop owner in Boston, who afterward supervised the ramen project.

Onishi was struggling to devise a bowl to be served to customers in the United States wanting a gluten-free option, and a common acquaintance referred him to Kenmin Foods President Yuki Takamura.

A diet without gluten, a protein found in wheat, has become increasingly common primarily among health-conscious individuals in the United States, as the practice is seen as contributing to weight loss.

Tapping into this trend, Kenmin Foods is planning to establish a customer base in the United States with the invention.

“We will gain a foothold for our business abroad via pitching ramen fashioned from rice flour,” Takamura said.

Kenmin Foods said mainly customers from the Asia region purchase their rice vermicelli in the United States. Because of this, overseas sales currently account for a tiny fraction of the company’s total sales.

The gluten-free noodle is reportedly already available at Onishi’s restaurant and is proving to be popular.

One set of two frozen bowls carries a price tag of 2,600 yen ($20) after tax. Customers can buy 10 units of the dried noodles alone for 2,180 yen, including tax. For purchases, visit the specialized Japanese site at (https://gf-ramen.jp/ ).

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