Lacto Japan invests in Leaft Foods to expand rubisco protein presence in Japan

Lacto Japan has invested in New Zealand-based Leaft Foods as part of a strategy to expand the production and commercialization of Rubisco protein and strengthen the companies' partnership in Japan.

• Lacto Japan invested in New Zealand startup Leaft Foods to support the commercialization of Rubisco protein.
• The companies aimed to establish a production and sales framework for the ingredient in the Japanese market.
• Leaft Foods developed proprietary technology to extract protein directly from plant leaves and operates a commercial manufacturing facility in New Zealand's Canterbury region.

The investment, announced on June 4, builds on a partnership established between the two companies last year and reflects Lacto Japan's growing focus on food ingredients with strong nutritional and functional characteristics.

The company reported that increasing consumer interest in health and nutrition had led it to strengthen its portfolio of protein ingredients, including dairy-derived products such as whey protein. The latest investment is intended to broaden its offering into plant-derived proteins while supporting Leaft Foods' expansion efforts.

Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Rolleston, New Zealand, Leaft Foods develops protein ingredients extracted directly from green plant leaves. The company has created a proprietary extraction process designed to commercialize proteins with nutritional and functional properties suitable for food applications.

Central to the partnership is Rubisco protein, an ingredient derived from ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase, commonly known as Rubisco. The protein is naturally found in chloroplast-containing plants and is regarded as one of the most abundant proteins on Earth.

According to Leaft Foods, its Rubisco Protein Isolate has been developed as a functional ingredient for nutritional fortification in dairy products and as a potential egg replacement ingredient. The company reported that the ingredient offers an essential amino acid profile comparable to dairy-derived whey protein and is characterized by rapid absorption in the body.

The company also markets Leaft Blade, a ready-to-drink beverage targeted at athletes and health-conscious consumers seeking convenient nutritional supplementation.

Both products are manufactured at Leaft Foods' commercial-scale facility in the Canterbury region of New Zealand.

Lacto Japan stated that the investment would help establish a production and sales framework for Rubisco protein while strengthening the strategic relationship between the two businesses. The company also highlighted the potential sustainability benefits of utilizing abundant plant resources as a source of protein.

The investment forms part of Lacto Japan's broader efforts to expand opportunities for healthy and sustainable protein solutions. The company said the partnership aligns with its corporate purpose and supports efforts to address challenges related to protein supply and environmental sustainability.

Leaft Foods has attracted increasing attention in the alternative protein sector for its approach to extracting high-value proteins from agricultural biomass. Unlike many plant protein ingredients that rely on seeds or legumes, the company's technology focuses on harvesting protein directly from leaves, potentially creating new value streams from existing agricultural systems.

Lacto Japan noted that the transaction is expected to have only a minor impact on its consolidated financial results for the fiscal year ending November 2026.

The financial terms of the investment were not disclosed.