Pulmuone's Tofu Bar sold 70 mn units in Japan

Asahiko, the Japanese subsidiary of South Korea's Pulmuone, announced on Friday that its protein snack Tofu Bar has sold more than 70 million units in three and a half years since its launch in Japan. 

The Tofu Bar, a plant-based protein snack containing 10 grams of protein per unit, was first introduced by Pulmuone's Japanese subsidiary Asahiko at the end of 2020.

It has gained popularity as a healthy snack, particularly among men in their 30s to 50s, widely consumed as a meal replacement, post-workout protein source, and a healthy side dish.

The Tofu Bar is sold in around 30,000 stores of Japan’s three major convenience stores—7-Eleven, FamilyMart, and Lawson—with an average of about 70,000 units sold daily. As of July 14, the total sales had exceeded 70 million units.

Asahiko has launched new Tofu Bar products tailored to local tastes, maintaining a diverse product lineup. 

To meet the growing demand for Tofu Bars, Asahiko has expanded the production lines at its Gyoda manufacturing plant in northern Saitama Prefecture three times: in January 2022, March 2023, and March this year. The plant now produces over 2 million Tofu Bars per month.

Asahiko targets overseas markets, starting with Southeast Asia, beyond just the Japanese market.

Mio Ikeda, CEO of Asahiko, announced the plans to export Tofu Bars to Singapore during a new business presentation on March 27 this year. Sales began in Singapore's convenience stores in April.

Asahiko is exporting Tofu Bars to Singapore using a quick-freezing method that freezes the products at minus 35 degrees Celsius. The company also plans to quickly expand its market to other Southeast Asian regions, including Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Write to Hyeong-Ju Oh at ohj@hankyung.com