A new way to get your protein and veggies

On Friday, July 30th, Ajinomoto Co., Ltd. will launch a new vegetable drink called Mankai®, featuring the next-generation food source, Mankai®, a cultivated strain of the minuscule oval-shaped leafy vegetable Wolffia globosa, also known as duckweed or Asian watermeal, and registered by Hinoman Ltd.

The drink is packed with 60 essential nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber, as well as high-quality vegetable protein. A single serving provides about 117 grams, or 1/3 of the 350 grams of vegetables recommended for daily intake by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

This new drink has a green tea flavor and can be mixed with water or milk.

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All about Mankai®

In March 2017, Ajinomoto reached an agreement with Israeli bio-venture company Hinoman Ltd. to acquire the exclusive rights to sell Mankai® in Japan.

Wolffia globosa is known as the world's tiniest vegetable, with leaves measuring only 0.5 milimeters in diameter.

Mankai® has been in the spotlight recently as a sustainable and environmentally friendly source of protein since it is grown hydroponically using water, light, and fertilizer, and can be harvested in as little as three days after the start of cultivation.

Benefits

Packed with protein:

When comparing protein content in 100 grams of various foods, Mankai® has 40.7g of protein, or around three times the protein of kale (Aojiru vegetable drink) at 13.8g as well as raw eggs at 12.2g, more than 12 times that of whole milk (3.3g) and more than 18 times that of spinach (2.2g).

Rich in essential nutrients:

Mankai® is not only a rich source of protein, but it also contains 60 vitamins, minerals, amino acids, unsaturated fatty acids, dietary fiber, polyphenols and more.

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Product Outline

• Product name: "Mankai®" 30 sticks (approximately 30 days' supply)
• Contains 4.8g of Mankai®, which contains more than 1/3 of the recommended daily intake of fresh vegetables.
• Format: Bright green powder in freshness-preserving aluminum foil stick packs
• Volume: 5.4g per stick
• Price: 4,500 JPY (tax included)
• Target: People interested in maintaining a regular intake of vegetables and protein, and health-conscious people.
• Recommended consumption: 1 to 3 sticks per day with water or milk.
• Release date: July 30th, 2021 (Friday)
• Sales area: All over Japan
• Sales method: Mail order (Ajinomoto Direct, Inc.: telephone, Internet, etc.)
• Customer inquiries: Ajinomoto Direct, Inc. customer service toll-free: 0120-324-324 or Ajinomoto Direct, Inc. online store