Tan Long Group and two Japanese partners, Nikkokutrust Group and Tokyo Kiraboshi Group, have just signed a contract to establish a joint venture in Vietnam, namely Nikkoku Tan Long Co., Ltd., to develop industrial catering projects in the country.

The capital ratio stands at 60 per cent from Nikkokutrust, 30 per cent from Tan Long, and 10 per cent from Kiraboshi.

Nikkoku Tan Long will provide industrial meals for offices, factories, schools, hospitals, and nursing homes based on the strengths of each business. Tan Long will supply input materials including rice and meat.

Nikkokutrust has experience in food processing techniques, industrial kitchen operations, and nutritional management that meets Japanese standards.

Established in 1941, Nikkokutrust has 82 years of development in Japan, about 3,000 employees, and two subsidiaries in Hanoi. Tokyo Kiraboshi operates in the financial sector in Tokyo, with core members including Kiraboshi Bank and UI Bank Digital Bank.

Tan Long – specialising in the agricultural sector – focuses on rice trading and livestock farming. Last year, it gained attention following the launch of its clean pork brand BaF Meat – vegetarian pork from BaF Vietnam (a member of Tan Long Group).

Truong Sy Ba, chairman and CEO of Tan Long Group said, "The big problem in the Vietnamese food market is dirty and unsafe food, as well as a lack of origin traceability. Over the past two years, there have been some mass poisonings in Danang province in some schools and factories. Therefore, we want to remove this issue in the country."

Ba said this is the third piece of the puzzle to complete BaF Vietnam's 3F chain, after the slaughtering facility. The industrial catering will cost at least VND30,000 ($1.27) per meal, and will be delivered in Ho Chi Minh City first.