Strategic partnership leverages Lacto’s market expertise to bring next-generation protein to Japan’s innovation-driven food manufacturers
ROLLESTON, New Zealand and TOKYO, Sept. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Leaft Foods, a company that harnesses the planet’s most plentiful protein extracted directly from green leaves to make industry-defining products, today announced a strategic partnership with Lacto Japan Co., Ltd., a leading distributor and producer of specialty food ingredients. The collaboration will accelerate the commercialization of Leaft’s groundbreaking Rubisco Protein Isolate within Japan’s sophisticated food manufacturing sector.
Leaft’s Rubisco Protein Isolate represents a paradigm shift in the protein industry. What makes Rubisco so unique is that it combines nutritional and functional properties that outperform animal incumbents like whey protein. Leaf Rubisco also delivers an amino acid profile superior to whey protein, setting a new gold standard for protein nutrition.
Beyond its exceptional nutritional profile, Leaf Rubisco offers outstanding food functionality, capable of replacing eggs, emulsifiers, and gelling agents while enabling food manufacturers to substitute artificial ingredients with a clean-label protein that humans have consumed throughout history. This performance is delivered through a commercialized production system that is backed by forward contracts and satisfies both quality and sustainability imperatives.
Lacto Japan brings decades of experience connecting ingredient companies from New Zealand and Australia with major players in the Japanese food industry. The company’s deep integration within the sector and proven track record with protein ingredients made them the ideal partner for Leaft’s debut in Japan, renowned as a global hub for food innovation. Broadly, the partnership aligns with Leaft’s global commercial strategy, which focuses on innovation-driven markets where demand for next-generation proteins is rapidly accelerating.
“It has been tremendously exciting to work with Lacto, a capable and innovative partner, as we’ve sought to enter the sophisticated Japanese market,” said John Penno, co-founder of Leaft Foods. “Lacto’s role as our trusted local collaborator has been invaluable in providing essential market and supply chain intelligence and relationship management that can enable successful market penetration.”
“It is not every day that you discover such an exciting new protein,” said Takeshi Shimizu General Manager Oceania at Lacto Japan. “What impressed us most was not only the protein system itself, but the fact that we have been able to work with it in a range of promising applications from the start. The quality, texture and flavor of the foods produced meet the exceptionally high standards that Japanese consumers expect.”
The companies are already engaged with several of Japan’s most important food manufacturers across plant-based foods, bakery products, and sports nutrition categories, demonstrating early market validation for the innovative protein. Their goal is to build a business worth tens of millions of dollars (USD) over the next five years.
About Leaft Foods
Leaft Foods harnesses the planet’s most plentiful protein, extracted directly from green leaves, to make industry-defining products with a fraction of the carbon footprint of conventional dairy protein. Leaft’s allergen-free Rubisco protein matches animal proteins in digestibility and nutritional profile and allows their farmer-growers to diversify how they use their land. Founded in New Zealand by highly experienced corporate leaders John Penno and Maury Leyland, who bring deep expertise in food and farming, and led by food industry veteran Ross Milne, Leaft has evolved from a kitchen experiment into a proven sustainable protein solution for pasture-based agricultural economies worldwide. Now accelerating its expansion with a focus on the United States, the company’s transformative approach has attracted diverse backers including prominent Silicon Valley firm Khosla Ventures, NBA basketball star Steven Adams, indigenous investor Ngāi Tahu and ACC’s Climate Change Impact Fund. Learn more at LeaftFoods.com.
About Lacto Japan Co., Ltd.
Lacto Japan is a leading supplier of dairy and food ingredients in Asia, specializing in the import, distribution, and marketing of high-quality dairy products, proteins, and food materials. Established in 1998 and headquartered in Tokyo, the company partners with global producers to provide innovative solutions to food manufacturers across Japan and beyond. With a strong reputation for reliability, quality assurance, and market expertise, Lacto Japan serves as a trusted link between international ingredient producers and the Japanese food industry. The company is publicly listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE: 3139).
SOURCE LEAFT FOODS
