How Ajinomoto’s bio-cycling initiative targets consumer health and sustainability

03 Jun 2024 --- Ajinomoto Group seeks to expand its health and sustainability endeavors through its bio-cycling initiative. The Japan-based company behind the popular seasoning and flavor enhancer Aji-No-Moto, also known as MSG (monosodium glutamate), discusses its efforts to turn waste created during manufacturing into valuable products like fertilizer.

“The Ajinomoto Group’s purpose, ‘Contributing to the well-being of all human beings, our society and our planet with AminoScience,’ embodies our commitment to achieving two major outcomes by 2030, both linked to food systems — to reduce our environmental impact by 50% and to help extend the healthy life expectancy of one billion people,” an Ajinomoto Group spokesperson tells Nutrition Insight.

“We are working toward achieving our outcomes set for 2030. Our bio-cycle initiative also aligns with our commitment to contribute to a circular economy, which is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) #14, #15 and #17.” 

These concerns include life below water, life on land and the enhancement of partnerships for the goals. 

Completing the MSG bio-cycle 
Aji-No-Moto MSG seasoning adds an umami flavor, the fifth taste, different from sweet, salty, sour and bitter, to enhance dishes such as sauces, broths and soups. 

To produce Aji-No-Moto, the company uses microorganisms to ferment plant material. Annually, this process generates 800,000 tons of leftover materials, 93% in the form of liquids from the fermentation process, to make 700,000 tons of MSG.

“The umami seasoning, Aji-No-Moto, is essentially MSG, which is the sodium salt derivative of glutamic acid — a naturally occurring amino acid. Our production process involves the use of plant-based ingredients like sugar cane, sugar beets, cassava and corn from which we generate amino acids via fermentation,” the Ajinomoto Group spokesperson explains. 

The Ajinomoto Group Bio-cycle (Credit: Ajinomoto Group). “After the extraction of glutamic acid from the fermented liquid, leftover materials remain. These co-products are nutrient-rich, containing elements like amino acids and peptides. For over four decades, we have been repurposing these co-products as highly effective fertilizers and animal feed.” 

Feed and fertilizer
The company also highlights how the fertilizers and feeds produced through this process compare to conventional fertilizers on the market.“Through many field tests, we have validated that these co-products are as effective as traditional fertilizers and animal feeds,” the spokesperson asserts.

 “The use of co-products as replacements for chemical fertilizers and feeds not only provides an effective alternative but also reduces the greenhouse gas emissions that are typically associated with the production processes of chemical fertilizers and feeds.”

Ajinomoto Group is working with local farmers and communities to implement these sustainable practices effectively. “At our locations in Thailand, Vietnam and Brazil, we sell these co-products as finished products to local farmers, helping to increase agricultural productivity.” 

“The co-products also contain active compounds that promote effective plant growth. The Ajinomoto Group uses these co-products as raw materials to manufacture and sell biostimulants.” 

Umami instead of salt
In its 2023 Sustainability Report, the Ajinomoto Group highlights its plans to help extend the life expectancy of one billion people by 2030 by quantifying salt reduction using umami. 

In 2020, the company began collaborating with a number of academic institutions on its U20 Healthy Umami Research Project to estimate to what extent umami can be used to reduce the use of salt on a national level. 

According to studies, umami could reduce salt intake by between 12% and 21.1% (1.3 g to 2.2 g) per day in Japan and by between 7.3% and 13.5% (0.6 g to 1.1 g) in the US.

The company points out: “Protein in milk is decomposed into free amino acids during fermentation. Each amino acid has a different taste which is an important function to make up the taste of cheese.”

A survey conducted by Ajinomoto Group revealed that the majority of consumers are aware of the importance of sodium reduction for health.

By Milana Nikolova