Edible Nuts 2001

  1. Principal varieties of edible nuts include cashews, hazel nuts, walnuts, almonds, chestnuts, pistachios and macadamia nuts.

  2. (a) Cashew nuts are part of the Anacardiaceae family.? Native to tropical Africa, they are grown in Brazil, Africa and India, and used in Chinese dishes and pickles.
    (b) Hazel nuts are from deciduous trees of the Oxialidaceae family, and are mainly grown in Turkey and Italy.? Besides being eaten as snacks, they are also used to make confectionery materials for chocolates.
    (c) Walnuts are from deciduous trees of the Juglandaceae family, and are grown in temperate zones, including U.S.A., China and Turkey.? They are used chiefly in confectioneries.
    (d) Almonds are from deciduous trees of the Rosaceae family, and are grown in the US and along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.? They are widely used for confectioneries, snacks, dairy products, frozen foods and beverages. Sweet almonds are grown in U.S.A. and bitter almonds in Europe.
    (e) Chestnuts are from deciduous trees of the Fagaceae family, and can be classified into Japanese, Chinese and American chestnuts.? Most of the chestnuts (both fresh and dried) imported to Japan come from China and are sold sweet-roasted.? Japanese-grown chestnuts are mainly canned.? Many of the chestnuts processed for temporary storage are of Korean origin and are mainly used for canned/bottled sweet-boiled chestnuts or confectionery materials.
    (f) Pistachios are from deciduous trees of the Anacardiaceae family and are grown in Iran, Turkey, Syria and U.S.A.? Good tasting and flavorful, they are often consumed as a salted snack food.
    (g) Macadamia nuts are from tropical evergreen trees of Australian origin, and are grown in Australia and Hawaii, U.S.A. They are a more recent addition to the table nuts consumed in homes.

    I    mports of nuts
    1995 1997 1999
    Cashews 3,181 4,098 3,573
    Hazel nuts 174 267 285
    Walnuts 3,484 5,786 4,266
    Almonds 9,857 12,303 8,113
    Chestnuts 9,304 10,549 12,410
    Pistachios 3,330 2,983 1,718
    Macadamia nuts 1,116 1,872 1,260
    Other nuts 2,332 2,407 2,207
    Total 32,778 40,265 33,832
    Unit: million yen
    Source: Japanese Trade Monthly
  3. Breakdown of imports by country
    1995 1997 1999
    U.S.A 13,296 17,440 12,776
    China 10,010 10,750 9,879
    Korea 1,854 2,800 4,887
    India 0 3,791 3,342
    Australia 881 1,466 854
    Others 6,737 4,018 2,094
    Total 32,778 40,265 33,832
    Unit: million yen
    Source: Japanese Trade Monthly
  4. Import trends show a relatively steady performance, with cashews and macadamia nuts gaining popularity as a table nut and establishing broader use in confectioneries and Chinese dishes.? Among the others, imports of walnuts have almost doubled, chiefly because of greater consumption in a variety of cakes and breads, thanks to aggressive promotion in Japan by a trade organization from U.S.A. (chief exporting country).? Some 90% of cashews are imported from India, most hazel nuts from Turkey, and the majority of pistachios from Iran.? Most macadamia nuts are imported from Australia and Kenya, though the quantity is small.? U.S.A. is responsible for the great portion of almond imports.? Generally speaking, imports of nuts had been increasing steadily, driven by the growth of walnuts and cashew nuts, despite some yearly fluctuations, but peaked in 1996, and have been on a slow decline since.? This is because of the shrinking demand for confectioneries in the midst of the recession.
  5. Most of the almonds, cashew nuts and pistachios consumed, the most popular types, are imported.? Some walnuts are grown domestically, but the majority on the market are imports because of their sheer quantity and price competitiveness.
  6. Imported nuts are subject to the Plant Protection and Food Sanitation Law. To prevent plant vermin from entering Japan, an application for import inspections for restricted plants and others must be filed with the plant protection office upon arrival at port, attaching an inspection certificate issued by the appropriate government agency of the exporting country.? If the inspection locates noxious insects and the cargo is rejected, orders are given for fumigation, disposal? or return shipment.? Imports of "shelled walnuts" from some countries are restricted. The Food Sanitation Law stipulates that an application for importation of foods, etc. and other necessary documents must be submitted to the imported food monitoring office of a competent quarantine station.? If they find aflatoxin or other chemicals during their examination of the application for importation, and sanitary inspections become necessary to judge if they can enter the country, these are carried out in a bonded area.
  7. The Food Sanitation Law and the Measurement Law stipulate that the following labeling be carried on nuts for retail:
    1. Product name 2. Quantity 3. Shelf-life (quality guaranteed date); 4. Food additives (if any) 5. Name and address of importer/distributor; 6. Storage recommendations (if applicable); and 7. Recommended use (if applicable).
  8. There have been no major changes in the nut market.? This is because in many cases they are consumed as ingredients in confectioneries and breads, rather than at home, and thus are not so familiar to the general consumer.? High prices are another reason for the slow growth in consumption.? However, the varieties and applications of nuts are expected to broaden.? Some of the reasons for this are: consumer preferences for nuts are becoming increasingly varied (almonds in particular); there have been attempts to expand their uses; and their growing popularity is supported by health-conscious and gourmet-oriented consumer behaviors.
  9. In many cases, nuts are distributed via channels for commercial-use foods, along with other materials for confectioneries and breads, and do not directly reach consumers.? Prepared nuts are distributed to food and confectionery wholesalers from importers and distributors.? Imported raw nuts are supplied to the retail market via wholesalers after packaging by processors.? Commercial-use nuts are sold directly to food processors by importers and processing businesses. Small-scale food processing manufacturers purchase nuts from wholesalers of confectionery materials.
  10. The consumption of nuts in Japan is among the smallest in developed countries.? For producing countries, Japan poses a large untapped market, and U.S.A. and other producers are approaching aggressively.? With importers and others mounting frequent campaigns to increase edible nut consumption in Japan, it is expected to grow.


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