Asahi Group Foods Signs Sales Agreement with Maypro for International Distribution of Milk Peptide Lactononadecapeptide (LNDP)
Expanding Global Reach: Leveraging Innovative Lactobacillus Ingredients
to Address Health Challenges in North America
(Tokyo, Japan – June 26, 2026) – Asahi Group Foods, Ltd., a subsidiary of Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd., has entered into a sales agreement with Maypro Industries, LLC (New York, USA; hereinafter “Maypro”) for the international sale of its proprietary milk peptide Lactononadecapeptide (LNDP). The agreement was signed on March 1, 2026. From July 2026 onward, Maypro is expected to progressively roll out the product across global markets, primarily in North America, for use in supplements and health foods.
This marks the Asahi Group Foods’ first-time selling LNDP outside the Asahi group and to international markets. With the rising demand for healthier food and beverage options, driven by increasing health awareness and product diversification, Asahi Group Foods, the group entity responsible for foods and their raw materials within the Asahi Group, expects global need for LNDP to grow. In response, Asahi Group Foods is strengthening its LNDP business to meet this rising demand.
Asahi Group Foods is committed to contributing to the realization of mental and physical well-being through its food and health solutions. As a key player in Asahi Group’s food business, the company manufactures and sells functional ingredients, including lactic acid bacteria and yeast, for use in food production.
LNDP is an ingredient developed by the Asahi Group utilizing its proprietary fermentation and enzyme technologies and functional material development knowledge cultivated over many years. While LNDP has previously been available only within the Asahi Group, the company has now expanded its reach to address global food and health challenges by exploring opportunities to bring it to international markets.
By partnering with Maypro and developing the new “PeptiDrive-LNDPTM” brand, Asahi Group Foods aims to enhance the global presence of LNDP.
- ・ A milk peptide consisting of 19 amino acids, which was discovered in milk fermented with lactic acid bacteria through the Asahi Group’s research on lactic acid bacteria and fermented milk.
- ・ It has been reported to help maintain attention (the ability to process clerical work quickly and accurately while temporarily storing visual information), which is a part of cognitive function that declines with age, as well as functions that help maintain the efficiency of calculation work, and it is used as an ingredient in supplements and beverages sold by the Asahi Group in Japan.
Maypro is a global supplier of functional ingredients and fine chemicals, founded in 1977 by Japanese entrepreneur Steve Yamada in New York, USA. Since its founding, the company has developed its business as a bridge between regional markets, including the introduction of advanced dietary supplement ingredients developed in Asia into the U.S. market. Today, the company has offices in the United States, Japan, and China, etc., and contributes to improving global health and well-being through the supply of scientifically supported ingredients and solutions.