KENMIN FOODS co., ltd.

posted on 24-Apr-2020

Press release

Kenmin’s ‘Yaki Be-fun’ confirmed as a Guinness World Record™! World No. 1 long-selling product, with a sales history spanning 59 years *

Certified as the longest-selling instant stir-fried rice noodle brand

‘Kenmin Yaki Be-fun’, which was first sold in 1960 as the main product of Kenmin Foods Co., Ltd. (Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, President: Yuuki Takamura) has been certified as a Guinness World Record™ (registered 31 January 2020) as the longest-selling instant stir-fried rice noodle brand in the world. Since its birth as the world’s first instant stir-fried rice noodle, Kenmin Yaki Be-fun was aimed to help people who have never eaten stir-fried rice noodles, do not know how to prepare them, or make mistakes when preparing them. It has come to be recognized as a product which allows anyone to easily prepare professional-tasting stir-fried rice noodles, and worldwide sales have now exceeded 15 million servings per year. We will continue to strive to bring smiles to dining tables in Japan and throughout the world with our much-loved Kenmin Yaki Be-fun.

* Details of Guinness World Record Certification

Record name:
 “Longest-selling instant stir-fried rice noodle brand”
Product covered by record:
 Kenmin Yaki Be-fun
Period covered by record:
 59 years (1960 to 2019)
Date of certification:
 31 January 2020
* Guinness World Record is a registered trademark of Guinness World Records Limited.

What is Kenmin Yaki Be-fun?

This is our longest-selling product, born in 1960 and reaching its 60th year in 2020. It was also the first and is now the only* (internal investigation ) instant stir-fried rice noodle product in the world which is already seasoned. With their flavor of soy sauce combined with chicken stock, and with no need to boil the noodles separately or add extra seasonings, these rice noodles are the world’s easiest rice noodles for using to make delicious food dishes, and we produce and sell about 15 million servings of them every year. Awarded Nikkei POS Selection Top Prize for sales during the Heisei Era (in ‘Other Instant Noodles’ category)
Net weight:
 65 g
Product type:
 Room temperature
Distribution:
 Supermarkets, etc throughout Japan.
（Yaki Be-fun Brand Site）
 https://www.kenmin.co.jp/products/brands/be-fun/

Comments on Guinness World Record Certification(Yuuki Takamura, President)

In 2020 ‘Kenmin Yaki Be-fun’ successfully reached the milestone of 60 years on the market. Since its first appearance, Yaki Be-fun has continued to be loved by our customers so that we have been able to offer it for sale continuously for 59 years. It is because of this that we can share with you our joy in having this total number of years recognized as a Guinness World Record. Over the years, we have changed the taste and texture of our rice noodles to match the tastes of our customers and to continue providing the value which they demand, while always keeping in mind our company’s aim, which we have expressed using the given name of the company’s founder, ‘Kenmin’ of providing ‘Health’ (‘Kenko’ in Japanese) to ‘Everyone’ (‘Minasama’ in Japanese). We hope that we will continue to be able to offer our ‘Kenmin Yaki Be-fun’ for the use and enjoyment of everyone well into the future. We look forward to your support and cooperation.

History of Kenmin Yaki Be-fun

Kenmin Yaki Be-fun was born in 1960 and reaching its 60th year in 2020, and is our longest-selling product. The company’s founder Kenmin Takamura took up the challenge of helping people who had never eaten stir-fried rice noodles, did not know how to prepare them, or made mistakes when preparing them, and in 1960 he invented his seasoned instant stir-fried rice noodles which he named ‘Kenmin Yaki Be-fun’. Whereas the ramen industry used an instant oil heat drying method in the development of instant ramen, the development of the instant stir-fried rice noodles was more difficult because using oil frying methods made them puff up. Kenmin Yaki Be-fun was therefore born as a product which could overcome the problems of stable quality and which allowed hot-air drying without being fried, which also meant that it was low in calories and could be tailored towards modern-day trends in health consciousness. Even today it is an original product and the only one of its kind in the world, with there being no other seasoned rice noodles in the world market. We will continue to put our heartfelt feeling into making these rice noodles which can be enjoyed by our customers in years to come.
Series names: Rich salty flavor, Oyster sauce flavor, Premium curry flavor, Kenmin soup rice noodles

Reason why Kenmin Yaki Be-fun became the world’s No. 1^* longest lived brand
→ Responding to changes in values over the years

1. Birth: A professional taste which anyone can easily prepare
   The rice noodles are already seasoned, so no extra seasonings are necessary. Furthermore, there is no need to boil the noodles separately. Anybody can make a professional tasting dish simply by heating the noodles for 3 minutes in a pan together with other ingredients. Even if you know nothing about instant rice noodles or have never eaten them before, you can enjoy the taste of delicious Yaki Be-fun stir-fried rice noodles without any trouble. For this reason Yaki Be-fun became the cornerstone of the instant rice noodle market, and the market expanded as the product continued to develop.
2. Modern society: A proper meal with very little effort
   The taste and texture of the rice noodles have continuously changed over time. Because the rice noodles are made from rice, they can be used and enjoyed in many different ways. They are non-fried, are low in calories and can be eaten with a lot of vegetables in different dishes which can be considered as healthy and family-friendly. Annual sales have grown to 15 million servings.
3. Gluten-free: Supports worldwide gluten-free lifestyles (* Overseas specification products)
   In response to worldwide demand for gluten-free foods products, Kenmin Yaki Be-fun with English packaging is a convenient gluten-free product which is pre-seasoned and does not require any extra seasonings. It is an ideal product for supporting people in gluten-free lifestyles and contributing to global well-being.

More about Kenmin Foods

We are a rice noodle manufacturer established in Kobe City in 1950. Our company has the No. 1 position in the rice noodle market in Japan, with a 52.8% market share. Our company’s aim, which we have expressed using the given name of the company’s founder ‘Kenmin Takamura’, is to provide ‘Health’ (‘Kenko’ in Japanese) to ‘Everyone’ (‘Minasama’ in Japanese).
In addition to the instant stir-fried rice noodles, we are also a specialist manufacturer of many other processed foods which use rice as their main ingredient, including Pho noodles, rice pasta and rice paper.
In recent years, our products have become popular in export markets such as America and other countries where gluten-free diets are a growing trend.
At the end of 2018 our company was designated as a ‘The Driving Company for the regional future(Ministry of International Trade and Industry)’ and in 2020 we were also certified as a ‘Hyogo “Only-one” Companies(Hyogo Prefectural Government)’ enterprise. We are a sponsor appearing on the shorts of the uniforms for the Vissel Kobe club in the Meiji Yasuda Seimei J1 League(Japan professional football league).

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