A local subsidiary of a Japanese company recently launched a "healthy" version of champorado —the sweet chocolate rice porridge popular in Philippine cuisine.

In an interview with DAILY TRIBUNE, Phoebe Juguiad of BiotechJP Corp. marketing team shared that the company's champorado's is made from authentic malagkit rice (sticky rice).

Why is it a healthier version?

"We don't use preservatives to make it last for one year," Juguiad said.

"We use Japanese tech and it's made from 100 percent cacao from Davao so you get all the benefits of cacao plus no other rice was used besides glutinous rice," she explained.

Juguiad said BiotechJP's champorado is ready-to-eat and can be enjoyed cold or hot (microwaved or soaked in hot water) or with milk.

BiotechJP also offers various rice options that are low in carbohydrates and low in protein specially designed for kidney disease patients.

Echigo is a protein-reduced rice especially formulated for individuals with pre-dialysis chronic disease (CKD).

"Patients with CKD are often required to adhere to a low-protein diet to alleviate the strain on their kidneys and slow down the progression of the disease," Juguiad explained.

"Echigo offers a palatable and nutritious alternative for these patients, allowing them to enjoy rice while adhering to their dietary restrictions," she added, noting that it offers 86 percent less protein versus regular white rice.

Patients with CKD cannot process excess protein, she explained, which results in less food options for them.

"Filipinos are rice eaters and the products offer patients an option to still enjoy rice without the danger of having too much protein in them," she continued.

"The product does not offer a cure for CKD but rather an option to still enjoy regular white rice that also tastes like regular rice," she added.

CKD is among the leading causes of sickness and death in the Philippines, with around 2.3 Filipinos affected by the disease, according to the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI).

The NKTI also estimates that one Filipino develops chronic disease failure every hour, or about 120 Filipinos per million population every year.

It further noted that the number of dialysis patients in the country rose by 42 percent, from 25,125 in 2022 to 35,714 in 2023, and attributed the increase to the excessive consumption of sugary foods.

Meanwhile, BioTechJP also offers Gohan Lite, specifically designed for those who want to reduce their calorie and carbohydrate consumption without sacrificing the pleasure of eating rice.

Juguiad said Gohan Lite is ideal for individuals pursuing weight loss or managing health conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.

BiotechJP also offers Insta Rice (pre-cooked rice) and Rice to Go, which Juguiad noted as a perfect Go Bag item, because it can last for up to a year without the need to refrigerate or store in a container.

The products are licensed by the Food and Drug Administration.

Opened in 1994, Biotech Japan Corp. is based in Niigata Prefecture.