Natto & Sprouting Soybeans

Offer the best version of a stable, probiotic food.

The natto market is growing between 5–8% every year (which can be attributed to consumers' growing consumption of fermented foods, a renewed focus on healthy products, and the rising popularity of plant-based proteins). Today, the U.S. exports ~140k MT of natto to Japan, where natto represents 19% of the total soybean consumption.

But no two natto growers are the same — and the quality of your natto/sprouting soybeans can make or break your end product.

We've been processing natto since 1989. Our soybean breeders focus on developing food-grade soybeans, including natto, for a variety of growing areas in North America. With an eye for quality, we'll make sure your soybean size and shape, seed coat quality, softness, color, flavor, and agronomic performance deliver the best quality natto soybeans for your end goal.

Consumers have high standards for natto appearance, quality, and texture. These soybeans shouldn't be too firm or too soft — and they must meet the characteristic texture, umami flavor, and neutral appearance.

Soybean breeders who work with Japanese natto producers offer more consistent soybean size and shape, seed coat quality, softness, color, flavor, and agronomic performance (and as a result deliver the best quality natto soybeans to consumers).

We take natto to the next level with our soybean breeder collaborations and SQF-certified, state-of-the-art grade soybean processing facility, where we use cleaners, sizers, color sorters, and magnets to ensure safe, quality soybeans arrive at your operations door.

Don't settle for one-size-fits-all. 

The right-size natto seed can make or break your consumer's experience. So knowing which size you need, and being able to secure it and confirm its quality, is critical to making a just-right product.

While extra small (gokuko tsubu) and small (kotsubu) sizes are the most popular natto options because they are easy to eat and the size and texture pair well with rice, you may need medium (nakatsubu) or large (otsubu) natto beans for a more pungent, creamy, and chewy experience.

Our commercial natto pipeline can meet the needs of any natto manufacturer with varieties for extra small, small, and grits natto. And with thousands of varieties in our R&D pipeline, and 30 in our commercial pipeline, we're here to get you the exact natto option your end goal requires.