1908
The Discovery of Umami
Japanese scientist Dr. Kikunae Ikeda discovered that the amino acid L-glutamate, found in kombu (seaweed), is the essence of umami and what we now know as the 5th basic taste.
Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition / Food Solutions Division
Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition North America, Inc. has a rich history helping food manufacturers of all sizes deliver the highest quality taste enhancement.
From our beginnings in 1908 to present day, scroll through our timeline to discover all our key points in history.
Providing products that not only taste good, but are good for you, is The Ajinomoto Group’s promise. We established our name with the world’s first umami seasoning, monosodium glutamate, and today offer a variety of savory ingredients, sweeteners, texture ingredients, amino acids, specialty ingredients and more.
With our broad portfolio of innovative ingredient solutions that span the savory, sweet and texture categories, we’re able to solve all types of formulation challenges.
Co-create greater wellness for people all around the world using the power of amino acids to resolve the food and health issues in relation to dietary habits and aging populations.
Our mission is to contribute to the world's food and wellness, and to better lives for the future.
We start with high quality materials, for example, cane sugar and corn.
We tap into our fermentation technology expertise to produce our ingredients
Then, we develop products that enhance taste, improve texture, and support healthy living.
We make it possible for clients to build strong brands and for consumers to eat well & live well.
At Ajinomoto, we focus on taste, centering on umami, kokumi, savory and sweet. Our formulation expertise with ingredients and food systems enable our customers to build strong brands and offer consumers great-tasting food products.
The pursuit of wellness through nutrition is trending globally. Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition utilizes our core competency in savory and sweet ingredient technologies to provide solutions that promote healthy living, such as reduced sodium and sugar.