Sanwa Starch Co., Ltd.
Corporate brand
UnclaimedJapanese starch and saccharification manufacturer founded in 1947, producing food and industrial starches, sweeteners and specialty carbohydrate ingredients from its base in Kashihara, Nara.
Last updated September 27, 2026
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Overview
Sanwa Starch Co., Ltd. (三和澱粉工業株式会社) is a Japanese manufacturer of starch, processed starch products and saccharified (sugar-derived) products, headquartered with its main plant in Kashihara, Nara Prefecture, and maintaining a Tokyo office in Chiyoda-ku. The company was established on 9 January 1947, and traces its operational origins to the founding of Sanwa Starch Goshi Kaisha (a limited partnership) in October 1948, when it began manufacturing and selling sweet potato starch. Its corporate philosophy is built around the founder Seiichi Morimoto's coined phrase "同歓共苦" (sharing joy and hardship together), and its stated management principles are to contribute to solving customer challenges through the supply of materials and to pursue the material and spiritual well-being of all employees. The company's product range spans food-use starch, industrial-use starch and saccharified products. Over its history it has moved from sweet potato starch to wheat starch, then into corn starch, pregelatinized (alpha) starch, isomerized sugar (corn sugar), adhesives for corrugated board, enzyme dextrins, papermaking starches, maltose, linear oligosaccharides, food-use modified starches, heat-moisture treated starch (marketed as Delicaster), anhydrous crystalline maltose, enzyme-saccharified starch syrup, and arabinose. It also holds a pharmaceutical manufacturing license obtained in 1992. Sanwa Starch operates a substantial logistics infrastructure, including an automated rack warehouse with capacity of roughly 6,000 pallets introduced in 2004, and reports more than 6,000 tonnes of storage capacity with air showers, dust and insect control, barcode management and traceability systems. The company has pursued quality and food-safety certifications including ISO 9001 (2001), Eco Action 21 (2007) and FSSC 22000, whose scope has been progressively expanded to cover starch, processed starch, saccharified products and food additives (modified starch). It has also obtained halal certification from MUI in Indonesia for corn starch and powdered saccharified products. As of the fiscal year ended March 2025, Sanwa Starch reported capital of 500 million yen, sales of 34.2 billion yen and 263 employees. Its representative directors are Chairman Shunichi Morimoto and President Tsuyoshi Morimoto, the latter having assumed the presidency in April 2024. The company has engaged in technical cooperation and joint ventures abroad, including technology provision to Taiwan's Tai-Ei Sangyo and investment in an Indonesian joint venture, and it established Joetsu Starch Co., Ltd. in 2008 and Nihon Hydro Powtech Co., Ltd. in 2014. It also operates power generation assets, including gas turbine cogeneration and solar power, and has sold electricity to the grid.
History
Sanwa Starch Co., Ltd. was established on 9 January 1947, and its operational history begins in October 1948 with the founding of Sanwa Starch Goshi Kaisha (a limited partnership), which started manufacturing and selling sweet potato starch. In October 1952 the company increased its capital to 1 million yen, began manufacturing and selling wheat starch, and discontinued sweet potato starch. In April 1960 it reorganized as a joint-stock company (kabushiki kaisha) with capital of 7 million yen and began manufacturing and selling corn starch. In April 1967 it added pregelatinized (alpha) starch. During the 1970s the company expanded its capital and product lines: capital was increased to 150 million yen in September 1974; a saccharification plant was newly built in June 1975 and production and sales of isomerized sugar (corn sugar) began; in October 1975 it developed and began selling processed starch for corrugated board adhesives; and in December 1978 capital was increased to 500 million yen. In November 1981 it developed and began selling various enzyme dextrins, and in September 1982 it developed and began selling processed starch for papermaking. In November 1984 it built the MC plant and began manufacturing and selling maltose. In January 1985 it developed and began selling linear oligosaccharide products. In May 1987 it opened a Tokyo branch, and in December 1987 it installed its own power generation equipment (boiler turbine generator). In the 1990s and 2000s the company broadened into pharmaceuticals, specialty starches and international cooperation. It obtained a pharmaceutical manufacturing license (license number Nara No. 0265) in October 1992. In April 1993 it developed and began selling food-use modified starch, and in June 1993 it developed heat-moisture treated starch and began selling Delicaster. In October 1994 it provided technology to Taiwan's Tai-Ei Sangyo Co., Ltd. In October 1997 it invested in a joint venture in Indonesia. In July 1999 it built an anhydrous crystalline maltose plant, and in March 2000 it installed a gas turbine cogeneration system. In April 2001 it built an enzyme-saccharified starch syrup plant and began manufacturing and selling the product, and in May 2001 it obtained ISO 9001 certification (No. NQA-9901242A). In August 2002 it concluded a business alliance with Nihon Shokuhin Kako Co., Ltd. and Sannmatsu Kogyo Co., Ltd. In April 2004 it built the AP plant and began manufacturing and selling arabinose, and in May 2004 it installed an automated rack warehouse with capacity of about 6,000 pallets. In February 2005, jointly with Ezaki Glico Co., Ltd., it succeeded in mass production of a new material, "enzyme-synthesized amylose," combining excellent biodegradability with advanced functionality. In October 2006 it switched from boiler turbine generation to a gas turbine cogeneration system and began a power-selling business. In June 2007 it obtained Eco Action 21 environmental management system certification (No. 1649). In November 2008 it established Joetsu Starch Co., Ltd. In the 2010s and 2020s the company focused on food safety, sustainability and governance. In April 2012 it obtained FSSC 22000 food safety management system certification for the manufacture of saccharified products (No. NQF-0028A). In April 2014 it introduced solar power generation equipment, and in September 2014 it established Nihon Hydro Powtech Co., Ltd. In November 2014 it was recertified under FSSC 22000. In November 2016 a new head office building was completed. In July 2017 it obtained halal certification from MUI (Indonesia) covering corn starch and powdered saccharified products (No. 00220083620717). In November 2017 it was again recertified under FSSC 22000. In December 2020 the FSSC 22000 certification scope was expanded to cover the manufacture of starch, processed starch and saccharified products. In April 2024 Tsuyoshi Morimoto assumed the role of Representative Director and President. In December 2024 the FSSC 22000 certification scope was further expanded to cover the manufacture of starch, processed starch, saccharified products and food additives (modified starch).
Company established.
Sanwa Starch Goshi Kaisha founded; begins manufacturing and selling sweet potato starch.
Capital increased to 1 million yen; begins wheat starch, discontinues sweet potato starch.
Reorganized as a joint-stock company with 7 million yen capital; begins corn starch.
Begins manufacturing and selling pregelatinized (alpha) starch.
Capital increased to 150 million yen.
New saccharification plant; begins isomerized sugar (corn sugar).
Develops and begins processed starch for corrugated board adhesives.
Capital increased to 500 million yen.
Develops and begins various enzyme dextrins.
Products and positioning
A long-established Japanese starch and saccharification specialist supplying food and industrial customers with carbohydrate-based ingredients, backed by in-house R&D, quality certifications and integrated logistics.
Food-use starch
Starches and processed starches for food applications.
Industrial-use starch
Starches for industrial applications such as papermaking and adhesives.
Saccharified products
Sugar-derived products including isomerized sugar, maltose and starch syrup.
Delicaster
Heat-moisture treated starch developed in 1993.
Arabinose
Produced from the AP plant established in 2004.
Enzyme-synthesized amylose
New material combining biodegradability and advanced functionality, mass-produced jointly with Ezaki Glico in 2005.
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