Calbee launched Body Granola in April 2023.

Masaoka was selected as a project member a little over a year before the launch—just three years after joining the company.

At the beginning of the project, the development team was simply asked to create a product using prebiotic ingredients. Although they knew which ingredients they wanted to use, they had not yet decided what kind of product to make, so development began entirely from scratch. On top of that, the project schedule—from planning to launch—was much faster than usual. It must have been a lot of pressure.

“It had been about a year since I was assigned to the cereal department, and I had become accustomed to developing regular cereal products. So the opportunity to take on a new challenge actually made me excited,”

Masaoka recalls.

She added that although the short development timeline was surprising, it ultimately boosted her motivation.

“At first, I only had a vague idea of adding something to the granola base, but I didn’t know what to add or in what form. Should it be a cereal, a powdered topping, or even something in liquid form?

After careful consideration, we concluded that a ‘cereal × cereal’ combination felt the most true to Calbee. In the end, we decided on a base granola with cereal toppings.”

Once the product format was decided, development began right away. During this stage, Masaoka was responsible for selecting the ingredients, creating seven granola recipes—including the base and all toppings—and reviewing research papers related to those ingredients.

Looking back on the development period, she recalls:

“It was a hectic time—making prototypes from morning until night every single day.”

Masaoka developed all seven varieties of Body Granola simultaneously: the base granola plus six toppings. Even though she was accustomed to working with cereal products, she admits that developing everything completely from scratch was challenging.

“The basic method of making cereal is to mix grains with syrup and bake it. But for Body Granola, we also needed to incorporate prebiotic ingredients into either the grains or the syrup. Some ingredients don’t dissolve well in syrup, while others dissolve easily in syrup but don’t mix well with grains and won’t hold their shape…”

She explains that adjusting the amount of these ingredients was one way to make it work, but there were limitations.

“If we reduce the amount too much, the product won’t deliver enough prebiotic ingredients to be meaningful. Finding the right balance—ensuring consumers could fully take in the prebiotics while also maintaining good flavor and texture—was incredibly difficult.”

The precursor to the prebiotic topping "resistant starch"

Masaoka explains that the flavor of a prototype doesn’t blend immediately after it’s made, so she always had to wait a little before tasting it. Every morning, she would start her day by trying the prototypes she had made the day before. From morning until night, she created countless prototypes within a limited timeframe, while also checking shelf life—an essential part of product development. She recalls how difficult it was to constantly shift her mindset and stay focused while making so many versions.

“But of course, I didn’t do everything alone. I had tremendous support from the other members of the Cereal Department. On days when I was away on business and couldn’t be in the office, they continued making prototypes using the mixtures and conditions I had designed. Thanks to them, the project was able to move forward without interruption. I’m truly grateful.”

The seven types of granola (the base plus six toppings) were developed with great attention to detail, especially with a focus on achieving a “Calbee-like” taste and a flavor that people would truly love. We asked Masaoka what she believes makes Calbee unique.

“We believe that this level of deliciousness is possible precisely because Calbee has been producing safe and reliable cereal for so many years.

The model we looked to was Frugra®, which will soon celebrate its 35th anniversary. Its trademark style is that you can enjoy multiple textures in just one spoonful. The fun of experiencing the crunchy cereal together with moist, crispy fruits in a single bite is a big part of why it’s loved by so many people.

We wanted to capture that same experience with Body Granola, so we created six different prebiotic toppings, each with its own flavor and texture.”

In addition to texture, the team placed great emphasis on flavor.

“Body Granola comes with one base granola and allows customers to mix and match three toppings. With 57 possible combinations, we needed to ensure that all six toppings would work well together—even if they were all mixed at once—while still tasting delicious individually.

You could say we aimed for flavors that are as neutral and approachable as possible, blending naturally into people’s daily routines. Since we want customers to choose their toppings based on their own test results, it was important for us to create flavors that aren’t too strong or divisive.”

Thanks to Masaoka’s dedication, Body Granola has received a “delicious” rating from approximately 95%* of users.

*About the survey
September 6th to September 13th, 2024 n=787
Body Granola user online survey (survey conducted by our company)
Calculated from "Very delicious" and "Delicious"

"I had a hard time deciding on the topping flavors, but in the end I decided on ones that I was convinced were delicious. Everyone has told me that they're delicious, and as the developer, I feel relieved that I made the right choice. I hope that this product will be loved by users for a long time."

“This product represents a new challenge for Calbee, and I’m extremely grateful to our ingredient suppliers and manufacturing staff for supporting us despite the irregular production schedule. I’m especially thankful to the production team, because this product requires a lot of time and effort.

Thanks to them, Body Granola has been well received. Recently, the staff often tell me, ‘We’re working hard today too!’ or ‘It looks like a lot of people are enjoying it!’ Hearing those words makes me truly happy.”

A year and a half has passed since the launch of Body Granola, and Masaoka continues to be involved in the product from the production side, ensuring its quality is maintained and continually improved.

“On a production line, even if the manufacturing method is set, things don’t always go exactly according to the formula. So we’re in constant communication with the production team about how we can manufacture the product more efficiently and deliver it to as many people as possible.

And because we use a large amount of grains and other ingredients, I frequently visit the factory myself to check the quality firsthand. Our dedication to ingredients is a core part of who we are at Calbee, so I take this aspect very seriously.”

Thanks to Masaoka’s efforts, Body Granola has grown into a popular service with over 20,000 members in just one year since its launch (as of the end of September 2024).

We asked her to share her recommended way to enjoy it.

“Granola is usually eaten with milk or yogurt, but during the colder months, eating something cold can feel tough, right?

In those times, I like to gently warm yogurt in the microwave until it’s about body temperature, then mix it with the granola. It feels easier on the stomach, especially when I’m eating it for breakfast.

If you ever find yourself not quite in the mood for cold food, please give it a try. Just be careful not to heat the granola itself too much, or it can become soggy.”

“I actually had it with warm yogurt this morning!” Masaoka says with a smile.

Finally, we asked her about her future outlook from a developer’s perspective.

“We want to keep improving Body Granola so that users can continue enjoying it and making it part of their daily routine. For that reason, we would love to hear your feedback.

We’re of course happy to hear your thoughts on the taste and texture, but we also welcome any suggestions for improvement.

We keep an eye on social media, so please feel free to share your opinions—we truly appreciate it.

We will continue to incorporate users’ voices in the ‘Calbee way’ and create products that are even more beloved.”

Because Body Granola delivers “your own granola,” it is designed so that anyone can enjoy it easily, in countless combinations. Many users have praised it for helping them maintain healthy habits even when life gets busy.

Calbee will continue to prioritize safety, reliability, and deliciousness, and will keep working to deliver even better products and services. We hope you’ll continue to follow our journey.