OMU News

On September 10, 2025, a tasting event was held at the Osaka Healthcare Pavilion. Visitors sampled a Japanese snack consisting of an onigiri (rice ball) that included “WE Rice” (wx ae double-mutant rice, which produces resistant starch), a rice with health benefits developed through collaborative research between OMU’s Laboratory of Food Process Initiative (FPI) and JA Kita-Osaka.

Specially Appointed Professor Shinichi Kitamura, a key collaborator in the research, attended the event alongside Dr. Thanh Thi Thu Thuy from the Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) and fellow researchers.

The onigiri were particularly special because of the WE Rice, a novel rice variety patented for its lipid metabolism-related benefits and food applications, that was developed in Professor Kitamura’s research.

Professor Kitamura has been conducting joint research on seaweeds with Professor Thuy for decades, and her visit to Japan provided a valuable opportunity to deepen academic and cultural exchanges at the Expo.

“This represents an over 10-year collaboration,” Professor Kitamura said. “It’s incredibly moving to me that the results of our long-term collaborative research could be enjoyed by everyone here at the Expo. We hope to further our collaborations and continue to contribute to everyone’s health.”

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