New Value for Fat-Free Milk and Whey. GOOD NEWS’ Passion for Product Development

GOOD NEWS also develops processed products with food waste prevention in mind. One of its best-known products is Butter no Itoko, a waffle cookie containing fat-free milk jam in the center.

The snack’s popularity is such that it has sales outlets in Tokyo and Hokkaido, including the main Butter no Itoko’s shop at GOOD NEWS in Nasu Kogen. Although it is now recognized as Nasu’s new signature snack, it was originally developed to enrich people’s diets with high-quality craft butter made from Nasu’s delicious local milk. Kotomi Mizuno, public relations officer, explains how it all started.

「バターをつくる過程で大量の無脂肪乳が出ます。原料となる牛乳を100％とするなら、バターは4％ほどしか採れず、残りの約90％が無脂肪乳になります。しかし、無脂肪乳は脱脂粉乳として安価で取引されています。『自分達でバターを作りたいけれどその過程でできる無脂肪乳をどうしたら良いか困っている』。GOOD NEWSの代表が友人である酪農家からそんな相談を受けて『無脂肪乳の価値をもっと高めることができたら、地域の酪農家のみなさんも安定して牛乳を生産でき、バターもつくることができるのでは』と、感じたことから開発がスタートしました」

The GOOD NEWS FACTORY produces products developed by GOOD NEWS, including their signature snack, Butter no Itoko. Additionally, the factory provides job opportunities for individuals with disabilities, serving as a job center. Butter no Itoko promotes a connection between producers, workers and consumers, making it a snack that benefits everyone.

The creations of Brown Cheese Brother and Kona to Spice, which were made for the grand opening of GOOD NEWS in July 2022, received much attention.

Brown Cheese Brother is a sweet treat featuring whey, typically thrown away during cheese production. The whey is boiled down (about 90%) to make brown cheese, which is mixed with caramel. Then, the mixture is sandwiched between two thick cookies that come in plain or chocolate flavors. You can try both for comparison.

Kona to Spice is a baked curry bread made with local Tochigi flour Yume Kaori and 11 spices. Each of the three varieties (mild, spicy, and extra spicy) has a thick, rich, and addictive flavor.
The company works with growers to minimize food waste by proactively utilizing surplus vegetables and sub-standard food items that cannot be sold.

Mizuno explains, “Although we’re still exploring the possibilities, we plan to continue developing products to address local issues surrounding food. We hope to continue to take on the challenge of creating new industries that will make everyone happy by combining Nasu’s tourism resources with local welfare and agriculture.”

The GOOD NEWS initiative started with the concerns of a producer, and it has now gained the entire community’s support. The town is becoming more sustainable as many people empathize with the cause.