Japanese confectioner Imuraya Group Co. will put on sale in Malaysia in September locally produced ice cream bars featuring its signature "azuki" red beans.

Production will be commissioned to a Malaysian firm by local subsidiary Imuraya Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., marking the first overseas manufacture of the Azuki Bar series, the sweets producer based in Tsu, Mie Prefecture, western Japan, said Thursday.

Going on sale will be three types of ice cream bars flavored with azuki, "matcha" green tea and milk, with a presumed price of 120 yen or about 4.5 ringgit each, according to a company spokeswoman.

The products will be based on ingredients with halal certification granted by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia, a government unit, to comply with religious rules for Muslims constituting about 60 percent of the country's population.

Imuraya, which is already selling azuki ice cream bars there imported from Japan, is seeking to offer the locally made products at an affordable price for a bigger share of the pie. (NNA/Kyodo)

==Kyodo

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