Japanese food maker Imuraya Group Co. will team up with a local firm to produce ice cream in Malaysia, marking its first foray into the Southeast Asian region.

Imuraya will leave production to its partner, Polar Ice Cream Sdn. Bhd., according to an Imuraya statement released on Wednesday.

Sales are slated to begin in June, with three types of ice cream, including its signature product, ice cream bars flavored with "azuki" red-bean paste, eyeing expansion into neighboring countries, a spokesman for the Tsu, Mie Prefecture-based company told NNA.

Imuraya will increase by February the capital of a local subsidiary, Imuraya Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., to 2.53 million ringgit ($614,000) from 30,000 ringgit at the time of its establishment in December 2019 in Petaling Jaya, in the central state of Selangor.

The spokesman said it "would not be very difficult" to qualify for halal certification showing products are permissible under Islamic law, as Polar's plant has already obtained this. (NNA/Kyodo)

==Kyodo

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