From food waste to craft beer: Japan turns upcycled rice into beer

Zojirushi Corp., based in Osaka, has hit its annual sales target of 100,000 cans of its "Zo no mai," or Elephant Dance craft beer, in about six months, with the unusual combination winning popularity among consumers.

"We were able to make the most out of our resources while creating new value," said Zojirushi spokesman Katsuhiko Hamada, 30.

The company holds multiple trials during the development and performance evaluation of its rice cookers. Most of the food is left and used for compost, but it had been looking for other ways to utilize the crop and began brewing craft beer after a suggestion from another company specializing in food waste reduction.

Zojirushi released its first bottled upcycled rice craft beer in 2023 called "Hare to ho" in the hopes that its efforts to avoid wasting food would become more widely known.

It launched its second craft beer, Elephant Dance, in March this year after about a year of development. Niigata-based Echigo Beer Co. produces the beer by mixing cooked rice and hot water with malt, and converts the rice starch into sugar.

The golden-hued beer has a 4.5 percent alcohol content with reduced bitterness and a smooth finish that complements most foods.

It is available in supermarkets and convenience stores and can be purchased on the company's official website for 405 yen ($2.5).

However, despite Zojirushi's endeavor to reduce food waste, only 5 percent of the 30 tons of upcycled rice can actually be used in the brewing process.

"We hope to use all the upcycled rice for a different product in the future," Hamada said.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that a beer-production byproduct could make sunscreens far more effective against harmful ultraviolet rays, according to a new study by researchers in Brazil.