Vičiūnai Group welcomed a journalist from one of Japan's most influential food industry publications
This week, Vičiūnai Group welcomed distinguished guests - Hironori Ozawa, a journalist from Japan Food Journal, Japan's leading specialised food industry publication, together with representatives of LITFOOD.
The visit is part of a national initiative aimed at presenting Lithuania as a modern, innovative country with a food industry that meets the highest international quality standards.
Throughout the week, the guest journalist, accompanied by representatives of LITFOOD, is visiting eight of Lithuania's most promising food industry companies. Each visit will be featured in a dedicated article to be published in Japan Food Journal, one of Japan's leading business publications for the food industry.
Among the selected companies are Vičiūnai Group and Groward Group, where the delegation attended corporate presentations and toured the production facilities in Plungė.
During the visit to Plungė, the guests also had the opportunity to sample a wide range of Vičiūnai Group products, including salmon, various herring products, European-style Gyoza and other export market favourites. The tasting provided valuable insight not only into the quality and flavour of the products, but also into the company's diverse portfolio and innovation-driven product development.
Why is this visit important?
Japan Food Journal is one of Japan's leading sources of information for the food business. The publication covers industry news, market trends, consumer behaviour, innovation, sustainability initiatives and technological developments. Its readership includes executives from food manufacturing companies, decision-makers from retail chains and importing businesses, distributors, academics and market analysts.
The publication is also an official media partner of Japan's most influential food industry events, including FOODEX Japan, making it an important opinion leader with significant influence on market perception and the visibility of new products.
Lithuania through Japanese eyes
The visit was organised by Kristina Mineikienė, Agricultural Attaché of the Republic of Lithuania to Japan, together with LITFOOD, with the aim of strengthening the visibility of Lithuania's food industry in the Japanese market. According to Kristina Mineikienė, the collaboration with Japan Food Journal has been ongoing for two years and is already delivering tangible results for Lithuanian companies with export ambitions.
"Lithuanian food products are recognised in Japan for their quality, innovation and reliability. Viciunai Group has an exceptionally broad product portfolio, giving it significant potential in this market. Although the company has not actively expanded its presence in Japan in recent years, I believe it is only a matter of consistent effort and time before its products find their place on Japanese shelves," says Kristina Mineikienė.
These publications play an important role in steadily strengthening Lithuania's reputation as a reliable and innovative food producer in Japan.
Why is Japan interested in Vičiūnai Group?
A significant part of the visit focused on Vičiūnai Group's product categories that are particularly relevant to the Japanese market.
According to Japan Food Journal journalist Hironori Ozawa, surimi products are deeply embedded in everyday life and Japanese food culture. Traditional products such as Kamaboko and Naruto are consumed throughout the country, with regional variations reflecting local culinary traditions. Surimi products can be found in the vast majority of Japanese children's bento lunch boxes, making them familiar and popular from an early age. Because of these long-established consumption habits and highly demanding consumers, Japan's surimi market remains extremely competitive, constantly seeking new flavours, formats and product innovations.
"Consumers in Japan are always looking for new product concepts, recipes and innovative food solutions. I believe your company's product portfolio has strong potential to earn a place on Japanese retail shelves," says Hironori Ozawa, journalist at Japan Food Journal.
The guests showed particular interest in Viciunai Group's product development, innovative recipes, concepts tailored for the Japanese market and opportunities to introduce entirely new product categories. In addition to surimi products, the company's herring range and European-style Gyoza also attracted considerable attention.
During the visit, the delegation was introduced to Viciunai Group's latest international achievements, its product awards received in 2026, export footprint, quality management system, innovation processes, food safety standards, traceability systems and long-term business strategy.
What impressed journalist Hironori Ozawa the most was the exceptionally rigorous quality control system applied throughout every stage of production, together with the company's advanced food safety and traceability solutions. He was equally impressed by the extensive level of automation being implemented at the new Viciunai ir partneriai (VIP) salmon processing facility. According to him, such a high degree of robotics, combined with uncompromising quality standards, clearly demonstrates that Lithuania's food industry is fully capable of competing with the world's most advanced food manufacturers.
Lithuanian companies ready for global markets
Eight Lithuanian companies with outstanding export potential and a strong international presence were selected for this initiative.
"We selected companies that actively participate in international trade exhibitions, invest in innovation and consistently showcase the strength of Lithuania's food industry to the world. These companies have the potential to become true ambassadors of Lithuania in international markets," says Irma Šlaičiūnaitė-Černiauskienė, Executive Director of LITFOOD.
Visits such as this provide an excellent opportunity not only to showcase Viciunai Group's products, but also to demonstrate the strengths of Lithuania's food industry as a whole—high quality, advanced technologies, innovation and reliable long-term partnerships. Publication of the article in one of Japan's most influential food industry media outlets will further strengthen the visibility of both Lithuania and Viciunai Group in one of the world's most demanding food markets.