FOR RELEASE: IMMEDIATE
10/01/2003

JAPANESE COMPANY ACQUIRES SECOND PATENT

Japanese Company Acquires Second Patent, Accolades From Both Health And Culinary Industries, And Its First Location in the USA

Yukiguni Maitake Company Ltd. of Japan, the world's largest cultivator of the increasingly popular maitake mushroom, is pleased to announce that on September 9, 2003 it was awarded a patent (#6,616,928) for the drying process of the fresh maitake mushroom which produces a stable dried "Active Oxygen Scavenging Agent". This patent is the company's second, following one awarded in 1998 for the extracting process for creating an "Antitumor Agent" (# 5,854,404).

The company, which produces over 110 tons of maitake mushrooms per day year-round (thus supplying 70 percent of the Japanese market), is 100% owner of the newly formed Yukiguni Maitake Manufacturing Corporation of America (YMMCA), which is about to invest $72 million to build a 923,000 square foot facility in the Town of Mamakating, New York. 

While research on the medicinal properties of the maitake mushroom (also known by its scientific name of Grifola frondosa) has been ongoing for some decades in Japan, in this country, the mushroom was initially recognized primarily for its exotic flavor. The NY Times, Bon Appetit magazine, the ABC Network's "Regis and Kelly" show and the Food Network's "East Meet West with Ming Tsai" and "Iron Chef" shows, are only a few of the media outlets that have vouched for the maitake's ability to turn a salad, stew, or sauce into a major gourmet event. But now as YMMCA finalizes its plan to construct Yukiguni's first growing plant outside Japan, it is the health-enhancing effects of the maitake that are stealing all the headlines.The maitake is a rich source of compounds called beta-glucans. These chains of sugar molecules appear to trigger activity in the immune system, which is believed to play a powerful role in controlling the spread of cancer. The maitake, which has no toxicity and no side effects, also appears to relieve some side effects of chemotherapy, such as nausea and hair loss. 

Researchers in many countries are finding evidence that the maitake mushroom enhances the immune system and fights diseases as diverse as HIV, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipemia and obesity. Since Yukiguni received the first patent for its extracting process in 1998, researchers in the United States have been conducting their own studies on the medicinal value of maitake. Currently, and thanks to a half million dollar grant provided by the U.S. Government through the Department of Defense, one of the country's most prestigious cancer research institutions is conducting research to determine the maitake extract's effectiveness in treating breast cancer. At other U.S. medical institutions, researchers are finding that the maitake may possess great potential in the treatment of other diseases and for use in the pharmaceutial/nutraceutial fields. 

While the extract form of the maitake is seen as extremely promising in the alternative medicine field, the dried form will offer consumers a less concentrated health tonic having antioxidant properties. "Active oxygen" in the body is believed by many to hasten aging and contribute to associated degenerative ailments. Proponents believe that in addition to stimulating the immune system, the dried form of maitake, as a scavenger of "active oxygen", may also help to slow aging and impede certain related degenerative diseases, such as diabetes, Alzheimer's and Crohn's. Thus this newly patented drying process is expected to have a huge impact on the nutraceutical corporate market, providing ingredients for dietary supplements, functional food products, and more. Says Kazunori Kameyama, President and CEO of YMMCA, "I don't want to call the maitake a miracle mushroom at this time, but the evidence is continually mounting."

Though Kameyama may not want to use words like "miraculous" at this time, in Japan the mushrooms have been highly regarded as both a culinary delight and a health enhancer for centuries. In fact, legend has it that the Shoguns were fully aware of the value of the maitake and traded it pound for pound for silver. The mushroom is fondly called "hen of the woods" in this country, because it has a feathery appearance. But "maitake" actually translates to "dancing mushroom," and it is said that it was named such because gatherers danced for joy when they came upon the rare species. 

Like its parent company, YMMCA will employ a secret growing process, which involves a painstaking reproduction of the precise natural environment of the maitake in the deep forests of northern Japan, using all natural ingredients and no additives. The average weight of one cluster of fresh Yukiguni maitake is 1.6 pounds, and more than 90% of their harvest passes their extremely rigorous quality control requirements. This mass production process and success rate, unheard of and unmatched in the U.S., was innovated by Yoshinobu Ohdaira, the founder and president of the parent company, over 20 years ago. The 200 people YMMCA plans to employ at its Sullivan County, NY location will include cultivators, researchers, manufacturers and more. YMMCA will produce 30 tons of fresh maitake mushrooms per day, as well as process the maitake into its dried and extracted forms through their two U.S. patented processes. YMMCA is scheduled to begin plant construction upon completion of its building permit process, currently underway, and expects to open some time in 2004. 

For more information about YMMCA, call 845-344-0209 or visit their web site at www.yukigunimaitake.com . Yukiguni's various dried products are already available in the U.S. through importation from the parent company in Japan. Again, visit their web site for ordering information.