Dr. Abe has investigated various functional food ingredients, especially Probiotics, in R & D division at Morinaga Milk Industry for more than 30 years. He took Ph. D. by a dissertation titled “The Investigation for Applied Technologies of Bifidobacterium powder”. He is now an Executive Corporate Officer and the Director of R&D Division in Morinaga and in charge of all research and development of Morinaga technologies and products. He has written many research papers and books regarding functional food ingredients and the applied technologies. These unique investigations have introduced various kinds of functional food ingredients and commercial products in not only Japan, but also world food market. Also he received The Commendation for Science and Technology by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology by his research regarding Probiotics powder technologies in 2023.
In addition, he is now a vice president of International Life Science Institute Japan (LISI Japan), a director of The Intestinal Microbiology Society, and a director of Japan Alliance of Health Food Associations, for contributing to the progress of life science and healthy life.
Founded in 1917, Japan's Morinaga Milk, has nearly a century of expertise in yogurt production and over eighty years of research in probiotics, has mastered several probiotic technologies. Their stated ultimate goal is to make "Bifidobacteria = Morinaga." In 2019, Morinaga launched the "Triple Yogurt," designed to lower blood pressure, blood sugar, and triglycerides, pushing functional yogurt to a new level. According to Morinaga's official website, within ten months of its release, the Triple Yogurt sold 40 million bottles. By 2023, Morinaga's yogurt sales exceeded 50 billion yen. How has this century-old company leveraged technological innovation and product advantages to continuously lead the market?