Suntory reacts as CEO quits amid drug investigation
The resignation of Japanese food and beverage giant Suntory’s CEO, Takeshi Niinami, has sent shockwaves through the industry.
According to a formal statement from Suntory, Niinami had informed the company about a police investigation into the drug misconduct last month, and had offered his resignation over ‘personal reasons’, which was accepted on September 1.
“Suntory has recognized this to be an extremely serious matter from a governance perspective,” Suntory president Nobuhiro Torii stated at an emergency news conference.
“A hearing was immediately conducted with Niinami via an outside attorney, during which he explained that the investigation was being conducted about several supplements, which he had allegedly purchased with the understanding that they were legal.”
Meiji launches NMN collagen to grow market share
Meiji Co. Ltd is putting a twist to its flagship amino acid collagen powder with the addition of nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) in a bid to grow its global market share.
The new product, known as Amino Collagen NMN, launched on September 8.
Citing data from Japanese market research firm Fuji Keizai, Meiji said that NMN was a booming category in Japan.
Combining NMN with collagen could be a popular formulation not only for the domestic market, but also overseas — due to strong interest in NMN in markets such as China, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
Otsuka Pharma grows electrolyte drink business across Asia
Japan’s Otsuka Pharmaceutical is trying to grow its POCARI SWEAT electrolyte drink business through market expansion.
The brand recorded strong performance in both the domestic market and in the Philippines, the company said in its financial results for the first half of 2025.
Growth in the Philippines was said to be driven by new customer acquisition through geographical expansion.
In July, the company started the sale of POCARI SWEAT in India via its subsidiary Otsuka Nutraceutical India Private Limited, which was set up in Mumbai last year with a capital of about 3.2bn yen (US$21.7m).
Japanese firm launches eye supplement with habit support app for ‘supplement refugees’
Japanese firm YURU Co Ltd has introduced a new eye supplement containing liposomal lutein and coupled it with a proprietary habit support app catering to “supplement refugees”.
Named LUTE VITA, the product is aimed at addressing the damage caused by daily exposure to blue light and ultraviolet rays, as well as the growing health and beauty consciousness among modern consumers.
Additionally, the company has created a dedicated app called nometa to help consumers manage their supplement habits, with features serving to maintain consumption motivation.
Meiji: Protein intake trumps exercise to build muscle gains
Meiji has urged consumers to focus on protein consumption over exercise for muscle growth and maintenance, across all groups from seniors to athletes.
According to research data revealed by Meiji, the majority of consumers today are not consuming enough protein despite looking to improve their muscle mass.
“Based on analysis conducted by Meiji, we found that muscle resistance training is not always necessary – the consumption of protein alone without any exercise can lead to significant muscle mass increase when protein intake reaches 1.3g per kg of body weight,” Meiji Nutrition Development Research Unit Manager, Atsushi Kanda, said at the Food and Beverage Innovation Forum (FBIF) in Shanghai.
