Sydecas Inc. is the developer of NinjaPaste, the konjac-based food binding agent.100% konjac means zero carbohydrates, zero fats, gluten-free, and plant-based. As more people look for healthy, environmentally friendly alternatives, we talked with CEO Masahiro Yoritama about this material and its endless possibilities.
*konjac: Japanese traditional plant-based jelly made from dietary fiber of plant’s roots
Please tell us about NinjaPaste.
NinjaPaste is a food material made from konjac, to be used for binding and molding foods.
Food binding and molding agents are in a wide range of products such as confections, processed meats, and fish paste products. However, most are saccharides (for example, starch syrup, sugar), oils and fats (butter), animal-based materials (gelatin, eggs), wheat gluten, or chemically synthesized additives. We began by asking how we could make food binders healthier.
When we look at nut bars, for example, most on the market today are shaped into bars by hardening the carbohydrates of substances such as caramel, starch syrup, cookie-like flour-based dough, or fatty chocolates.
Nuts are supposed to be healthy and full of fibers, minerals, and other nutrients, but the binding agents can not only increase the calories of nut bars but even mask the authentic flavors of essential ingredients.
100% konjac NinjaPaste is free of sugar, fats, and gluten and is practically zero in calories. It binds by either heating, freezing, or drying, and once it forms, it stays that way. It’s also tasteless and odorless, so it does not affect ingredients’ genuine flavors and aromas.
NinjaPaste is a food material that many people can enjoy confidently, from those concerned about high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, allergies to those who just want to decrease their calorie intake.
NinjaPaste is currently in our THE NUTS BAR and Veggie Jerky products. Our corporate clients include hotels that have chosen NinjaPaste for their branded sweets and canned meat products.
What is NinjaPaste’s vision?
We want to create a world where everyone can delight in the eating experience without compromising.
We also believe that mouthfeel, or how the food feels on your teeth or tongue, is essential in the eating experience, on top of flavors and aromas. Many food-tech companies around the world use the latest technologies, but few focus on mouthfeel.
NinjaPaste is in a paste form, so it can be turned into a wide range of textures by adjusting the amount of water. For foods with a mouthfeel that play a key role in the eating experience, such as nuts, it can be used as a binder. When used with meat alternatives such as soy meat, NinjaPaste will make it juicy and chewy.
To find partners abroad, we are actively attending international trade shows. We went to one in Dubai, UAE, in October 2022, and the largest food-tech trade show in Europe, held in Spain, in May of 2023. We received great responses at the North American trade show in July 2023, where we received many orders for our NUTS BAR product.
As more people become health conscious and interested in natural foods, NinjaPaste has even further potential because it fits well with diverse culinary choices and dietary habits such as veganism, vegetarianism, and flexitarianism.
Please tell us about the future of Sydecas Inc.
Sydecas Inc. began by designing and selling fashion items for the care and nursing scene. There, we witnessed so many people or patients who could not enjoy eating; this realization pushed us to develop NinjaPaste.
Today, meals for the nursed or incapacitated go through vigorous nutritional calculations, and have a broad range of tastes and flavors. However, most tend to be a gooey liquid or gelatinous form, so it can quickly take the joy out of eating when eaten daily.
NinjaPaste can make a difference: more enjoyable food, even for the nursed or the unwell. It can also make everyone’s diet healthier, which is our tenet, and we are exploring various opportunities.
NinjaPaste received the Grand Prize of the 10th Knowledge Innovation Award in 2022 at Grand Front Osaka.
Our immediate plan is to work with other food manufacturers so NinjaPaste can be a part of more products that are accessibly priced.
We will continue to work so we can deliver NinjaPaste, with its high potential, to more people.
