Amid the extreme heat wave of nearly 40 degrees Celsius in many parts of Japan, the sherbet-type drink “Ice Slurry” and special refrigerators that make it easy are drawing attention. According to Japan’s Mainichi Shimbun on the 31st, the special refrigerator of Sharp, a Japanese electronic device manufacturer, attracted great attention at the “heat countermeasure exhibition,” which introduces products and technologies to solve the heat held in Koto-gu, Tokyo, the day before.
According to Sharp, the refrigerator makes it easy to make ice slurry by supercooling PET beverages. Supercooled means that the liquid does not turn to ice below any point and remains in its original state, which makes it possible to quickly turn to ice even with a small impact. Slush soju, once popular in Korea, is also made use of supercooling.
Ice slurry is a drink that is mixed with fine ice and liquid, and it can effectively cool the body inside by consuming moisture and ice at the same time. It is also useful as a ‘free cooling’ means to prevent heat stroke that lowers body temperature before exercising or working.
Sharp began renting an ice slurry refrigerator for corporations in May. As the prevention of heat stroke in the workplace has become mandatory since June, many inquiries have been made from construction companies, factories, and schools. “We aim to introduce 3,000 companies by 2027,” a Sharp official told the media.
Ice slurry products have recently attracted attention in Japan as a countermeasure against heat stroke. Japan’s Daisho Pharmaceutical launched Lipovitan Ice Slurry in April, and the person in charge said, “We have tripled our production since last year due to a surge in corporate inquiries and are also considering increasing production.”
Otsuka Pharmaceutical, which has been selling “Pocari Sweat Ice Slurry” since 2018, also said its sales have increased due to the recent heat wave. The drink has been used since June to prevent heatstroke among employees at the Osaka and Kansai World Expo.
SOPHIA KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
