"BENI BITES" unveiling event

2025.03.27

~Making Japanese sweet potatoes a global superhero~
Keep your hands clean. Easy to carry. BENI BITES is a revolutionary new dried sweet potato bar!

BENI BITES, which opens up new possibilities for dried sweet potatoes, has been released nationwide. The unveiling event, held on February 7, 2025, at BROOKS GREENLIT CAFE in Minato Ward, Tokyo, attracted an astonishing number of visitors, demonstrating the high level of interest. We spoke with Nozomi Jinguji, CEO of morning boost Inc., the company that operates BENI BITES, about the background to the brand's creation, the particularities behind its development, and its future prospects.

Nozomi Jinguji, Representative Director and CEO of morning boost Inc.

■ Profile
Born in Kagoshima Prefecture. After graduating from university, he joined an airline. Fascinated by the diversity of food cultures while coming into contact with various foods from around the world, he opened "eggcellent," a breakfast egg specialty restaurant, in 2013. In 2018, he released "UPBEET!Tokyo," a plant-based and gluten-free sweets line, and in 2024, "BENI BITES," a plant-based and gluten-free snack line. His mission is "to bring health and smiles to people all over the world through the wonders of Japanese food."
She is a member of the 8th class of "APT WOMEN," a Tokyo Metropolitan Government initiative to promote the growth of women's ventures.
First batch of participants in the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry x JETRO "J-Star X Food Frontiers USA"
Member of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' Food Tech Public-Private Council "Food Startup Future Conference."

■How the dried sweet potato bar was born

I grew up in Kagoshima and have been familiar with dried sweet potatoes since I was a child. Dried sweet potatoes are a traditional snack that has been around for a long time, but they tend to stick to your hands, making them a little inconvenient to eat outside. They are inconvenient to carry around in your bag, and they leave a sticky feeling on your computer after eating them, making them difficult to use in everyday life.
So we wondered if we could make it easier to eat anywhere, and that's how the dried sweet potato bar was born. By taking advantage of the good qualities of traditional dried sweet potatoes and making them into sticks, we made them easy to carry and hygienic to eat. We believe that this will fit into today's busy lifestyles and will be accepted by people all over the world.

■The special features of the dried sweet potato bar

There are already many dried sweet potato products on the market, but the "Dried Sweet Potato Bar" has unique features that allow it to stand out.
To make these delicious dried sweet potato bars, we carefully dried "Nabe Niharuka," a high-quality sweet potato from southern Kyushu, which was baked over a long period of time on the lava of Sakurajima, Kagoshima, and then used a unique method to lock in the sweetness and nutrients and create the bars.
The great things about this product are that it is plant-based, gluten-free, low GI, and rich in high-quality dietary fiber, which is good for intestinal health.In addition, while regular dried sweet potatoes are sold in their original form, the ``Dried Sweet Potato Bar'' is processed into a stick bar, so it can be easily eaten with one hand without getting your hands dirty.
We also paid particular attention to the packaging design, adopting a stylish and impactful design that will be well received by younger generations and overseas consumers. Our aim is for this product to be incorporated into a lifestyle, rather than simply as a food product. To that end, we have paid careful attention to every detail, creating a product that meets the needs of modern consumers.

■Good for your body and health

Dried sweet potatoes are not only delicious but also healthy, making them a proud Japanese superfood that has long been enjoyed by people of all ages. The "Hoshiimo Bar" was developed as a product that is both healthy for the body and the environment. The reason for this is that, while sweet potatoes are rich in dietary fiber and vitamins, when dried, the dietary fiber content is about 2.7 times higher! Other nutrients such as potassium and calcium also increase. Because it is rich in dietary fiber and is expected to improve the intestinal environment, it is also recommended for health-conscious people. In addition, sweet potatoes, the raw material for hoshiimo, can be grown without any additional processing, using little water, and have a high CO2 absorption capacity, making it an environmentally friendly agricultural crop.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
In recent years, more and more people have become interested in health and sustainable consumption, and we believe that the Dried Sweet Potato Bar is a product that meets the needs of this era.

■Making sweet potatoes into global superheroes

My mission is to spread the appeal of this wonderful sweet potato both domestically and internationally through the Dried Sweet Potato Bar, and to "make sweet potatoes a global superhero." The Dried Sweet Potato Bar was developed as the first item in that series. In the future, I would like to develop a variety of products using sweet potatoes and spread the appeal of Japanese agricultural products to the world.

Student Newspaper Online, June 7, 2025, Interview by Tsuda University 2rd year student, Karin Ishimatsu