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An estimated 1–2% of the population in Japan lives with food allergies. This figure is significantly higher among infants under the age of one, with around 10% experiencing some form of allergic reaction. While allergenic foods vary by age group, eggs, milk, and wheat are the most common during early childhood. Allergies to tree nuts, including walnuts and cashews, have been increasing in recent years among both children and adults ^*1. A survey conducted by AJINOMOTO FROZEN FOODS CO., INC. in 2019 ^*4 found that wheat, eggs, and milk cause over 50% of food allergies among preschool-aged children. People living with food allergies expressed constant concerns about not being able to eat the same meals as their family, being unable to eat with friends, and the burden of having to prepare safe foods from scratch. These concerns suggest that people living with food allergies face difficulties day in and day out.

1. *1 The Japanese Society of Allergology, Food Allergies and Q&A
2. *2 AJINOMOTO FROZEN FOODS CO., INC., Information on Food Allergy-Friendly Food Products: Current Overview of Food Allergies

AJINOMOTO FROZEN FOODS CO., INC. has long been committed to careful product development, selecting high-quality, fresh ingredients to create products that people around the world can enjoy with confidence and peace of mind, all in pursuit of bringing SMILES to everyday life. Household frozen foods are a familiar part of daily meals, offering convenience, accessibility, and easy preparation. That is why AJINOMOTO FROZEN FOODS CO., INC. strives to make products for both those with and without food allergies, bringing everyone to the table and to share enjoyable meals together. Guided by this belief, AJINOMOTO FROZEN FOODS CO., INC. actively develops and offers allergy-friendly food products.

AJINOMOTO FROZEN FOODS CO., INC. offers a range of allergy-friendly food products, including those made without wheat, eggs, or milk ^*3. Such products include Tender Japanese-style fried Chicken, Rice Flour Gyoza, Fried Chicken with Japanese citrus ＆ Pepper, and Fried Chicken with Lemon & Basil. The company also offers a potato snack made without any of the 28 specified allergenic ingredients.

1. *3Products are manufactured at facilities that also process items containing wheat, eggs, and milk.

Tender Japanese-style fried Chicken has used rice flour instead of wheat flour in since the initial launch of the product to achieve a light, crisp coating on the chicken. However, the product packaging required a wheat allergen label due to the wheat contained in the soy sauce seasoning. Over time, AJINOMOTO FROZEN FOODS CO., INC. received numerous inquiries from customers with food allergies asking whether the wheat allergen labeling was due to the soy sauce. These inquiries prompted the development team to consider whether using a wheat-free soy sauce could allow people with food allergies to enjoy the same karaage (fried chicken) with the whole family with peace of mind. Driven by this idea, the team worked with ingredient suppliers and spent two years developing a soy sauce made by roasting rice instead of wheat. After approximately 100 rounds of prototyping, AJINOMOTO FROZEN FOODS CO., INC. began offering a karaage product made without wheat, eggs, or milk.Rice Flour Gyoza is another product made without wheat flour. Instead, the gyoza wrappers use rice flour while retaining same key feature as GYOZA: the ability to cook into beautifully crisp, winged gyoza.

Retail space for frozen foods is limited, which means that products developed with food allergies in mind may not always be available at every local store. To address this issue, AJINOMOTO FROZEN FOODS CO., INC. established a store locator map ^*4 for Rice Flour Gyoza on the company website. The company also sells allergy-friendly food products through the official online store.

1. *4 AJINOMOTO FROZEN FOODS CO., INC., Rice Flour Gyoza Store Locator Map

AJINOMOTO FROZEN FOODS CO., INC. operated the AJINOMOTO BRAND GYOZA Station at Osaka Gourmet EXPO 2025 supported by SUNTORY from April to July 2025. The pop-up venue offered hands-on cooking experiences that allowed visitors from Japan and overseas attending the Osaka–Kansai Expo to try preparing and enjoy GYOZA. As part of this initiative, the company held an Allergy-Friendly Day on May 31 and June 1, inviting 100 people with food allergies and their family members to participate.

People living with food allergies and their families often face challenges when dining out and have even fewer opportunities to participate in outdoor food events. Event organizers must also take careful measures to prevent cross-contamination. To this end, AJINOMOTO FROZEN FOODS CO., INC. held Allergy-Friendly Day in collaboration with eat is Co., Ltd., a company committed to informing others about food allergies. Participants prepared and taste-tested Rice Flour Gyoza themselves using tabletop burners set up at each table at the event site. AJINOMOTO FROZEN FOODS CO., INC. and eat is Co., Ltd. ensured participants’ peace of mind by providing brand-new frying pans, using paper plates, and removing soy sauce and other seasonings containing wheat from the tables.

On the day of the event, participants expressed delight as they cooked crisp, winged gyoza. Many returned for second and third servings, with some participants even enjoying over 20 pieces. Participants included not only families with young children, but also university students, individual attendees, and visitors from distant regions such as Kyushu and Shikoku, highlighting that food allergies affect people across all ages and regions. While some participants had already been regular consumers of Rice Flour Gyoza, other participants discovered the product for the first time. Participant feedback also highlighted that, for many families who are usually unable to eat the same gyoza together, discovering this product was a welcome experience. These responses underscored the importance of continuing to provide allergy-friendly food products and expanding awareness of their availability.

Mana Hosokawa, Representative Director of eat is Co., Ltd., collaborated on Allergy-Friendly Day and shared her reflections based on her own experience living with food allergies. "It was deeply moving to see children enjoying GYOZA with smiles on their faces, and to see their parents watching. I also heard participants speak about feeling encouraged after realizing how many others share similar experiences with food allergies, as well as by having the opportunity to discuss concerns they rarely have the chance to talk about. I believe Allergy-Friendly Day was a truly memorable and meaningful event for everyone involved.”

AJINOMOTO FROZEN FOODS CO., INC. will continue to contribute to richer and more fulfilling food experiences through frozen foods that are safe and delicious, and enjoyable for everyone, allowing people with and without food allergies to gather around the table together.

March 2026