Amid soaring prices of imported soybeans and requirements to meet food hygiene control rules, producers of traditional shima-dōfu tofu in Okinawa Prefecture are facing difficulties, with some being forced to stop the long-held tradition of selling them hot and others going out of business due to a drop in earnings.
Although the industry faces headwinds, producers are working to promote their products to hand down the unique Okinawan cuisine to future generations.
According to food hygiene control rules based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles, which all food-related business operators have been required to implement since June last year, shima-dōfu products, which are served warm, need to be kept at 55 degrees Celsius or more. If their temperature drops below that level, the products must be consumed within three hours or refrigerated.