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The Stories of Wakodo

The first made-in-Japan Baby Food “Grismael”

“Grismael,” used by the Empress Kojun

Left: Grain powder for infant (1943)Center: Gelatinized grain powder for infant (1949)Right: Baby food (1940 - 1948) (Mock milk powder and infant food under the food ration regimen)

Left: Grain powder for infant (1943)
Center: Gelatinized grain powder for infant (1949)
Right: Baby food (1940 - 1948) (Substitute milk powder and infant food under the food ration regimen)

The first made-in-Japan baby food, “Grismael” incorporated a recommendation by a child nutrition scholar.

Doctor Takayuki Ohta, an authority in child nutrition, had recommended gruel based on coarsely crushed polished rice grains as the optimum food for babies about to start weaning. The polished rice grease was made by crushing rice grains into a uniform size, which was labor intensive to make for a common household or hospital and also difficult to make properly. That was why Wakodo committed to development of a polished rice gruel product that does not require too much effort to prepare.

Wakodo used a crushing machine to first crush white rice grains into a uniform sized. The polished rice gruel was sterilized, because many babies were killed by bacterial disease. The product was prepared in a pot for sterilization, first heated while mixing to prevent the surface from becoming gluey, then sterilized and canned. This was the birth of the first made-in-Japan baby food “Grismael.”

There was no technology to gelatinize starch quickly. “Grismael” was no exception. It took 20 - 30 minutes of soaking in water, vegetable soup, or milk, then another 20 - 30 minutes of slow cooking, before the gruel was cooked. Although it took time and work, it had high nutritional value and was ground breaking. When Her Imperial Majesty Empress Kojun raised the fifth Princess Suganomiya (Lady Takako Shimazu), it was said that she used “Grismael.”

However, soon World War II started, and it became difficult to secure the supply of the key ingredient, polished rice. Wakodo tried to ensure procurement of the ingredient by having “Grismael” licensed as a medical product. This was an attempt motivated by the wish to keep supplying quality food for children even in a national emergency. However, the license as a medical product could not be obtained. Although “Grismael” was supported by many mothers, when polished rice became unavailable, its production had to be discontinued. It was not until 1949 that Wakodo could resume production of its baby food.

ASAHI GROUP FOODS,LTD. become an owner of WAKODO brand products. (As of 1, July 2017)

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