photo courtesy of Morinaga Nutritional Foods Inc.
Morinaga Nutritional Foods Inc. (Mori-Nu), a soy product manufacturer based in Torrance, Calif., has offered tofu in aseptic packaging since 1985.
According to the company, the packaging preserves tofu’s freshness, nutritional value and flavor for a year without preservatives, by protecting tofu from light, air and bacteria, which causes spoilage.
“When we came here over 30 years ago, tofu was relatively unknown and not popular at all,” said Miki Koyama, sales assistant and marketing coordinator at Mori-Nu. “We were actually one of the pioneers to introduce tofu into the USA.”
Alison Kasakitis, customer service specialist at the company, said that even though tofu has existed for more than 2,000 years, it is only in recent years that tofu has become popular among Americans as a result of the rise of the Internet, environmental awareness, vegetarianism and veganism.
“Our consumers love the taste, texture, and shelf-life of Mori-Nu silken tofu,” Kasakitis said. “It has been praised for being the only tofu perfect for hurricane and earthquake supplies, boating, Alaskan winter, Texas summers and camping just to name a few.”
Since Mori-Nu’s tofu is silken tofu, which is creamier and smoother than regular tofu, the use of aseptic tofu is not limited to Japanese traditional food but has been extended to different kinds of food, such as dips, smoothies and cheesecake, the company states.
“In fact, you could eat it straight out of the box with a splash of soy sauce or blend it with some spices for a mind-blowing pumpkin cheesecake,” Kasakitis said.
Mori-Nu, with its aseptic tofu, aspires to provide healthy food with creative recipe that fits the diverse lifestyles of Americans.
“Of course, many people still have never tried tofu,” Koyama said. “But we would like to educate them on how good tofu is and how easy it is to prepare meals with it.”
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