公益財団法人 浦上食品 ・ 食文化振興財団

Foundation Overview

#1 Foundation Overview

Name
Urakami Foundation for Food and Food Culture Promotion

Office
House Foods Group inc. Building
6-3 Kioi-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Established
April 1, 1986

Board Charperson
Seiko Urakami

Objectives
Promote research on food production, processing, and safety, and education of food culture and thereby contribute to the development of the food industry and food culture in the country and the improvement and security of people’s diet.

Activities
(1) Grants to universities and research institutes in the research or investigation of food production and processing

(2) Grants to universities and research institutes in research or investigation of food safety

(3) Grants to organizations in education and awareness activities on food culture

(4) Other activities required to fulfill the objectives of the Foundation

Research projects with the support of the Foundation are published.

Competent authority
Cabinet Office
The Foundation is authorized by the Prime Minister as a designated public interest corporation.

#2 Purpose of Establishment

The food industry is seeing growing demand for upscale, diversified food products due to growth in income, changes in lifestyles, and trends toward better health. In order to address such demand, it is essential to promote basic and applied research in the food industry field and seek to develop state-of-the-art technology. It is also important to conduct research in diet and food culture.

Ikuo Urakami, former president of House Foods Corporation, had a strong interest in the advancement of the food industry and improvement of the food culture in this country, probably from his long-term involvement in the food industry. Since the objectives were too large for one person to achieve, he had been preparing to establish a public interest corporation with his own funds and the help of brilliant researchers and many other collaborators. Unfortunately, however, his dream was cut short when he died in a plane crash on August 12, 1985.

In April 1986, in pursuit of the intentions of Mr. Urakami, the Urakami Foundation for Food and Food Culture Promotion was established to promote research in food production, processing, and safety, and food culture education.

We hope that our activities contribute, even in some small way, to the development of food industry and the food culture in this country and the improvement and security of people’s diet.

Setsuko Urakami
Kunihiko Otsuka
Founders

#3 Main Activities

  1. Research funding
    We provide grants to research projects in the following five subjects:
    Research on food processing technology
    Research on food and health
    Research on spiced food
    Research on food preference
    Research on food safety

    The Foundation offers open calls for proposals annually with application guidelines. The selection is conducted by the Selection Committee comprising academic experts.

  2. Promotion and education of food culture
    The Foundation provides cooperation and support for distinguished projects and events on food and sponsors educational activities.
  3. Compilation and publication of reports
    The results of research projects are compiled and published in the Urakami Foundation Research Reports.

#4 Organization and Operation of the Foundation

[Operation]

Board of Councilors

The Board of Councilors consists of councilors to whom the chairperson of the Board of Directors delegates authority upon approval of the Board of Directors. Meetings of the Board of Councilors are convened by the chairperson of the Board of Directors to discuss important matters on the agenda set by the chairperson. The chairperson is elected by the Board of Councilors from among its members. Directors and auditors can attend meetings and offer their opinions.

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors consists of directors elected by the Board of Councilors. The chairperson of the Board of Directors convenes and presides over meetings of the Board of Directors, makes the necessary decisions on operations of the Selection Committee, and sets the operations and necessary bylaws of the Foundation.

Selection Committee

This committee selects research projects that are suited for the objectives of the Foundation. The members of the Selection Committee are elected from among academic experts and delegated authority by the chairperson of the Board of Directors upon approval of the Board of Directors.