Clay Gilpin with the Fresno EDC (left) and Dr. Sanliang Gu with Fresno State (right) met with Manda Fermentation representatives including Dr. Yoshinori Matsuura, president and CEO; Takuji Iwata, COO and director; Yashuhito Nakajima, Director; and T BY Concept LLC CEO Tomoyuki Iwanami. Image via Fresno State Department of Viticulture and Enology

A Japanese food processor and supplement manufacturer is closing in on a new Fresno County location.

That’s the word from Lee Ann Eager, president and CEO of the Fresno County Economic Development Corp., as told to the Rotary Club of Fresno last week.

Eager gave a presentation about a recent trip to Japan where she received an enthusiastic and formal welcome from representatives of Manda Fermentation Co.

Manda Fermentation Co. is a health food manufacturer based in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, whose flagship supplement, called “Manda Koso,” consists of 53 kinds of botanical raw materials that are fermented over a period of three years and three months.

Fresno EDC officials have been mum on the project, declining to confirm Eager’s account or provide further details without a green light from Manda Fermentation.

An email message to Manda Fermentation was not returned.

Manda has been active in forging bonds with local organizations. Near the end of June, the Fresno State Ricchiuti Chair of Viticulture Research Dr. Sanliang Gu helped welcome research partners from Manda Fermentation to the Fresno State campus, according to a Facebook post.

Gu provided a research update on a preliminary study on the success of Manda 31, a naturally fermented plant concentrate that could be used to enhance grapevine growth, increase crop yield and improve the quality of fruit in the San Joaquin Valley.

There was also a discussion on securing future funding opportunities, according to the post.

According to its website, Manda Fermentation sources its raw ingredients — root vegetables, cereals, fruits, citrus, beans and edible algae — from all across Japan.

Manda Fermentation was established in 1987, and has about 260 employees, according to its website.