3/16/2005 Nikkei English News TOKYO -- Nisshin Oillio Group Inc. will infiscal 2005 start overseas sales of value-added edible oil products thathelp prevent the buildup of cholesterol and fat, company officials said.

To get started, the major edible oil producer will in April apply toauthorities in the U.S., South Korea, Taiwan and China for certificationof the products as health foods.

The company targets more than 500 million yen in annual overseas sales ofthe oil products by 2010. One of the products, called Healthy Resetter, istouted as hampering the accumulation of fat in the body. Another, HealthyCholeste, helps reduce cholesterol levels.

These functional oil products have already obtained the Ministry ofHealth's imprimatur as special-use health foods.

The company plans to market the products for both home and commercial usesoutside Japan. As the first step, it will target restaurants andfood-processing companies in the U.S.

It will then sell the products to households in South Korea, Taiwan andChina, where people are becoming increasingly health conscious.

The products for overseas markets will be produced at a plant in Yokohama.

The Japanese market for functional edible oils is expected to expand toover 15 billion yen in fiscal 2004. Nisshin Oillio, which forecasts salesof 10 billion yen from such products in the same year.

(The Nikkei Business Daily Tuesday edition)