On October 15, 2024, the seminar on the research, development, and dissemination of liquefaction suppression technology for fermented rice noodles was held at the Vietnam Food Industries Research Institute (FIRI). Participants from the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) included Dr. FUNAKI Yasuro, Director of the Social Sciences Division and Leader of the Green Asia Project; Dr. KANAMORI Norihito, Representative of the Southeast Asia Liaison Office; Dr. MARUI Junichiro, Senior Researcher of the Biological Resources and Post-harvest Division; and Dr. YOKOYAMA Shigeki, Visiting Researcher of the Japan Agricultural Development and Extension Association. The seminar was hosted by FIRI, an institute under Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT), following a visit to JIRCAS by the Deputy Director of MOIT’s Department of Science and Technology in November last year (JIRCAS Report, 2023-11-17). During that visit, interest was highlighted in JIRCAS's collaborative research on fermented foods across Southeast Asia, particularly in the development of liquefaction suppression technology for Thai fermented rice noodles.

At the seminar, Dr. Funaki presented on the Green Asia Project along with the “Technology Catalog Contributing to Production Potential and Sustainability in the Asia-Monsoon Region”. Dr. Funaki also introduced about the pilot survey aimed at assessing the effectiveness of disseminating liquefaction suppression technology for fermented rice noodles in Vietnam- a technology featured in the Technology Catalog (JIRCAS Report, 2024-06-07). Dr. Kanamori, provided an overview of JIRCAS’s collaborative research initiatives in Vietnam, along with updates on the activities carried out by the Liaison Office in the region. Dr. Marui offered insight into the development process of the liquefaction suppression technology for fermented rice noodles in Thailand. Dr. Marui also provided information about the recent workshop held in Thailand to support the dissemination of this technology, showcasing it as a practical example of applying research findings on the ground and achieving effective results (JIRCAS Report, 2023-09-20). In addition, he also introduced the development of the histamine suppression technology for fermented freshwater fish paste in Laos, which is a common ingredient in Southeast Asian countries as same as fermented rice noodles, and the research and development of koji amazake, which uses Japanese rice koji and Southeast Asian rice to contribute to improving nutrition and promoting health.

Fermented rice noodles are widely used in Vietnam, where producers desire to address preservation issues such as liquefaction, similar to the situation in Thailand. Participants in the seminar were highly interested in JIRCAS's efforts to elucidate the fermentation processes and microbial activities of fermented foods, such as fermented rice noodles, which are common among Southeast Asian countries, and to apply this research knowledge to solving local problems. The importance of supporting small and medium-sized local producers through food research, such as the development and dissemination of technology to suppress the liquefaction of fermented rice noodles, and the possibility of future collaboration were also discussed. The seminar highlights are also available in Vietnamese and English on the FIRI website. (https://firi.vn/tin-tuc/trung-tam-nghien-cuu-khoa-hoc-nong-nghiep-quoc-te-nhat-ban-jircas-den-tham-va-lam-viec-tai-vien-cong-nghiep-thuc-pham/）