Kirin Expands Lineup Of Functional Food Products for Immune Function With L. lactis strain Plasma To 38, More Than Double

● Kirin, together with external partners, expands a raft functional foods with immune function claims using Lactococcus lactis strain Plasma (postbiotic)
● Kirin Group: total 27 products, 11 products from 6 external partner companies. 38 products total
● Easily accessible products aim to increase the 11% of Japanese consumers actually using immune care products, although 85% are aware that "immunity" is necessary for good health

TOKYO, October 19, 2022 – Kirin Holdings Company, Limited’s (Kirin Holdings) will expand its lineup of functional food products with immune function claims that contain its proprietary Lactococcus lactis strain Plasma (L. lactis strain Plasma [postbiotic]) in cooperation with external partner companies. The number of items of functional food products using L. lactis strain Plasma will expand to a total of 38 products*2 consisting of 27 products from the Kirin Group and 11 products from 6 external partner companies.
1 Comparison with October 5, 2021 (17 products)
2 Sum of the number of products currently on the market and the number of products to be launched as of October 5, 2022 (Wed.)

The Kirin Group will launch Kirin iMUSE Immune Care Good Sleep Plus, a double-care supplement for immunity and good sleep, under the Kirin iMUSE brand on Tuesday, October 18. Kirin iMUSE Immune Care Visceral Fat Down a double-care supplement for immunity and visceral fat, will also go on sale on Tuesday, November 1. Kirin Beverage Company, Limited will launch a new product name and package design for Kirin Namacha Immune Care on Tuesday, October 11. Kirin iMUSE Lemon and Kirin iMUSE Yogurt Taste will also be available in the new packaging from Tuesday, November 22. Koiwai Dairy Products CO., LTD. also launched Koiwai iMUSE Yogurt Low Fat 400g on Tuesday, September 27.

Kirin Holdings will begin working with two new pharmaceutical manufacturers as external partners. Taisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. will launch VICKS Throat Drops Premium L. lactis strain Plasma, Immune Care and Immune Function Support sequentially from Monday, October 3 to Wednesday, October 12 at drugstores, supermarkets and convenience stores nationwide, and through Taisho Pharmaceutical Direct (E-commerce sales). TOKIWA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. of the Noevir Group will launch the functional food L. lactis strain Plasma Delicious green juice on December 1 (Thursday) through its sales network of placement drugs*3. In September, an agreement was reached with Coca-Cola (Japan) Company, Limited. for the planning and development of future products by Coca-Cola.

Against the backdrop of various environmental changes in society and people's lives, people are becoming increasingly aware of the need to manage their physical condition, and the market for immune support is showing particularly high growth. According to the Health Food (Supplements, Foods & Beverages) Survey*4, the "immune support" market has maintained a high level of 5.4%, compared to a CAGR of 2.6% for the overall market from 2013 to 2021, and is expected to continue to grow in the future.
3 Sales of this product by Japanese companies that provide prescription drug distribution services and TOKIWA Medical Service Co., Ltd.
4 Health food: Food and beverages consumed for the purpose of supplements and health functions.

Data: FUJI KEIZAI CO., LTD. Health&Beauty Foods Marketing Handbook 2022 No. 1 "Functional Oriented Foods", No. 2 "Health Oriented Foods"

Kirin Holdings' survey*5 also found that approximately 85% of consumers are aware that "immunity" is necessary for good health, in line with the growing health consciousness associated with recent environmental changes. On the other hand, only about 11% of respondents have immune care habits (the habit of taking foods, beverages, supplements, etc. for immunity), showing a large gap between awareness and behavior. This is thought to be that the need for immune care is not strongly felt and the hurdles for taking action toward immune care are high.

In order to promote the habit of immune care, which is the foundation of good health, Kirin Holdings will educate people about the need for immune care and work with external partners to create an environment where L. lactis strain Plasma can be purchased and consumed according to various lifestyles.
5 September 2022 survey (20-69 years old/men/women/n10000)

Sales of L. lactis strain Plasma related products have been expanding, increasing approximately 50% year-on-year in the period from January to June 2022. In addition to the development of the Kirin Group companies, the base of functional foods containing L. lactis strain Plasma is expanding through external partner companies. Kirin Holdings will continue to support the health of each and every individual living with "immune care" and aim to achieve a society where people can live a bright, healthy, and lively life.
6 Abbreviation for Creating Shared Value: combined added value for consumers as well as for society at large.

L. lactis strain Plasma series Functional Foods New Product Lineup

Functional Foods

●The diet should be based on a balance of staple foods, main dishes, and side dishes.
●This product has not been approved by the government.
●This product is not intended for the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of disease.

Kirin Group

Product names	Kirin iMUSE Immune Care Good Sleep Plus
Release Date	Tuesday, October 18, 2022
Distribution	Drugstores nationwide
Content (1 bag)	7-day supply: 42 tablets（6 tablets per day）
Price (MSRP excluding sales tax)	1,278 yen
Distributor	Kirin Holdings Company, Limited
Product Features	Double care for immune system and sleep, containing 100 billion L. lactis strain Plasma and 800 mg of L-ornithine in 6 capsules. Easy to take daily with water or other liquids.
Registration Number	H38
Product Images

＜Reported Indication＞
This product contains Lactococcus lactis strain Plasma (L. lactis strain Plasma). L. lactis strain Plasma acts on pDCs (plasma cytoid dendritic cells) and have been reported to help maintain immune function in healthy people.
This product contains L-ornithine monohydrochloride (as L-ornithine), which dissolves in water in the body to form L-ornithine, and L-ornithine has been reported to improve some measures of subjective sleep perception upon awakening (the feeling of having slept longer) and to support better alertness upon awakening.

Product name	Kirin iMUSE Immune Care Visceral Fat Down
Release Date	Tuesday, November 1, 2022
Distribution	Drugstores nationwide	Kirin Kyowa Hakko Bio E-commerce
Content (1 bag)	7-day supply: 14 tablets (2 tablets per day)	15-day supply: 30 tablets (2 tablets per day)
Price (MSRP excluding sales tax)	1,463 yen	3,037 yen
Distributor	Kirin Holdings Company, Limited
Product Features	Double care for immune system and visceral fat: 2 capsules contain 100 billion L. lactis strain Plasma and 22 mg of isoflavone derived from kudzu flower. Easy to take daily with water or other liquids.
Registration Number	H182
Product Images

＜Reported Indication＞
This product contains Lactococcus lactis strain Plasma (L. lactis strain Plasma). L. lactis strain Plasma acts on pDCs (plasma cytoid dendritic cells) and have been reported to help maintain immune function in healthy people.
This product contains isoflavones (as tectrigenins) derived from kudzu flowers. Isoflavones (as tectrigenins) derived from kudzu flower have been reported to help reduce body weight, abdominal fat (visceral and subcutaneous fat), and waist circumference in obese people.

Functional Labeling (common to all products)

1. Labeling for notification
This product contains Lactococcus lactis strain Plasma (L. lactis strain Plasma). L. lactis strain Plasma acts on pDCs (plasma cytoid dendritic cells) and have been reported to help maintain immune function in healthy people.
2.Functional Ingredients
L. lactis strain Plasma (100 billion)

Product name	Kirin Namacha Immune Care	Kirin iMUSE Lemon	Kirin iMUSE Yogurt Taste	Koiwai iMUSE Yogurt low fat
Release Date	Tuesday, October 11, 2022	Tuesday, November 22, 2022	Tuesday, November 22, 2022	Tuesday, September 27, 2022
Container/size	525ml PET bottle	500ml PET bottle	500ml PET bottle	400g
Price (MSRP excluding sales tax)	163 yen	163 yen	163 yen	390 yen
Distributor	Kirin Beverage Company, Limited			Koiwai Dairy Products CO., LTD.
Product Features	The mild taste of green tea with the sweetness and aroma of freshly picked tea leaves allows you to enjoy a refreshing drink every day. Contains 100 billion L. lactis strain Plasma.	Refreshing lemon juice with a hint of sweetness makes this lemon water refreshing and easy to drink. Contains 100 billion L. lactis strain Plasma. Low calorie. 1% fruit juice.	Features a yogurt flavor that is not too sweet and refreshing as well as satisfying to drink. Contains 100 billion L. lactis strain Plasma. Low sweetness.	Low-fat type with reduced milk fat content while maintaining the delicious taste of milk Contains 100 billion L. lactis strain Plasma (per 100g)
Registration Number	G1427	F182	F183	G252
Product image

Fall/Winter 2022 New external partners' products

Product name	Immune Care	VICKS Throat Drops Premium L. lactis strain Plasma	Immune function support	L. lactis strain Plasma Delicious green juice
Release Date	Monday, October 3, 2022	Tuesday, October 4, 2022	Wednesday, October 12, 2022	Thursday, December 1, 2022
Distribution	Mass merchandisers nationwide	Mass merchandisers nationwide	Taisho Pharmaceutical	Deployed as a functional food through a sales network of placement medicines
Container/size	30 bags : 1 month supply (1 sachet per day)	12 tablets : 3-day supply (4 tablets per day)	30 tablets : 1 month's supply (1 tablet per day)	30 bags (1 sachet per day)
Price (MSRP excluding sales tax)	2,800 yen	330 yen	3,800 yen	6,500 yen
Distributor	Taisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd			TOKIWA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd
Product Features	Functional Foods One sachet per day, one month's worth No. 1, Satoen, Shizuoka Prefecture tea use.	Functional Foods Individually wrapped type Lemon yogurt with mint flavor Sugarless	Functional Foods 1 capsule per day for 1 month Contains Vitamins B, C, D, and propolis, tulsi.	・Contains Vitamin D, which more than 70% of Japanese people are deficient in. ・Contains “Ao no Kiwami®” balanced nutritional supplement・Green juice to support water supply
Registration Number	G1131	G1179	G1395	H106
Product image

About Kirin Holdings

Kirin Holdings Company, Limited is an international company that operates in the Food & Beverages domain (Food & Beverages businesses), Pharmaceuticals domain (Pharmaceuticals businesses), and Health Science domain (Health Science business), both in Japan and across the globe.

Kirin Holdings can trace its roots to Japan Brewery which was established in 1885. Japan Brewery became Kirin Brewery in 1907. Since then, the company expanded its business with fermentation and biotechnology as its core technologies, and entered the pharmaceutical business in the 1980s, all of which continue to be global growth centers. In 2007, Kirin Holdings was established as a pure holding company and is currently focusing on boosting its Health Science domain.

Under the Kirin Group Vision 2027 (KV 2027), a long-term management plan launched in 2019, the Kirin Group aims to become A global leader in CSV*, creating value across our world of Food & Beverages to Pharmaceuticals. Going forward, the Kirin Group will continue to leverage its strengths to create both social and economic value through its businesses, with the aim of achieving sustainable growth in corporate value.

* Creating Shared Value: combined added value for consumers as well as for society at large.

GALLERY