Japanese yen for New Zealand cheese

JAPAN – Itoham Foods of Japan has signed a distribution agreement with Fonterra subsidiary New Zealand Milk (NZM).

The cheese will be introduced to the Japanese market alongside NZM’s products for the foodservice market, although under the new agreement, Itoham will distribute only natural cheeses.

Until recently, heat-treated processed cheeses have been the norm in the Japanese market, but with a recent wine boom and increasing popularity of foods using cheese as an ingredient, the consumption of natural cheese has become mainstream.