Farmed Fish Breakthrough Delivers Unprecedented Melt-in-the-Mouth TextureWinner of the 2025 Kyushu Region Invention Award

Farmed Fish Breakthrough Delivers Unprecedented Melt-in-the-Mouth TextureWinner of the 2025 Kyushu Region Invention Award

December 26, 2025

Maruha Nichiro Corporation has received both the Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation Chairman's Award and the Implementation Achievement Award at the 2025 Local Commendation for Invention of Kyushu presented by the Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation. These honors recognize the company's successful patented invention of techniques to produce "melt-in-the-mouth farmed fish texture," made possible through innovation developed by Maruha Nichiro employees.

Overview of the invention

This breakthrough in texture was achieved by feeding farmed yellowtail a solid fishmeal-based diet supplemented with carefully balanced amounts of vegetable and fish oils. This formulation produces fish with low-melting-point fat, giving the sashimi its melt-in-the-mouth quality. At the same time, we enhanced the overall taste by increasing monounsaturated fatty acids, such as oleic acid, in the feed and reducing the melting point of edible oils by approximately one-third.

Compared to wild fish and current farmed fish, the result is a culinary breakthrough of yellowtail sashimi with dark meat that browns more slowly, a sumptuous melt-in-the-mouth texture, more umami components and fewer bitter components, and less fishy odor.

Maruha Nichiro further ensures the consistent high quality of its farmed yellowtail by strictly controlling feed and growth rates, using only solid feed.

Inventions

Melt-in-the-mouth farmed fish texture (patent no. 7248765)

Chairman's Award Winners

Implementation Achievement Award Winner

Maruha Nichiro is committed to enriching people's lives by offering foods that deliver health benefits and support a sustainable society.