By Tommy Hamamoto, U.S. Grains Council Director in Japan

Last month, the U.S. Grains Council participated in Noodle World, the largest noodle exhibition in Japan, to promote the use of corn flour and corn starch use in noodle products. Noodle World is focused on ramen, udon, soba, and pasta, and is the first and only exhibition of its kind in Japan. USGC’s booth provided many samples of noodle products, including pasta, all made from U.S. corn flour and corn starch.

Overall, the Councils booth was a success, visited by 300 Japanese noodle manufacturers, food services, and food retailers. There was also interest from visitors about making, licensing, or selling the noodles. Japan is already the top importer of U.S. corn, and by participating in this exhibition, the Council ensured that Japanese customers were exposed to even more uses of corn and its co-products.