Astonishingly, Ajinomoto expands into the fields of Information & Communication Technology, Medical Food

The Ajinomoto Group’s “Purpose” is its core foundation and guiding principle in operations and business strategies. With the “Evolved Purpose” integrating “AminoScience” - the science of amino acids - what changes will be made in Ajinomoto Vietnam’s business strategies and development direction in the future?

Mr. Tsutomu Nara

Over the past 100 years, the Ajinomoto Group has continually researched and unlocked the infinite potential of amino acids with four functions: Flavoring, Nutrition, Physiological functions, and Reactivity functions.

Since then, the Group has leveraged the power of amino acids to develop products and services to resolve social issues and contribute to people’s health and well-being. “AminoScience” is the core strength and competitive advantage of the Ajinomoto Group, and is not easily imitated by other companies.

Incorporating “AminoScience” into our “Evolved Purpose” of “Contributing to the well-being of the Vietnamese people and society through providing quality products and valuable initiatives with ‘AminoScience’” is because we want to leverage the Ajinomoto Group’s “AminoScience” strengths to expand our contributions further in Vietnam.

Towards the 2030 roadmap, with “AminoScience”, Ajinomoto Vietnam will continue to strengthen its current business operations in the “Food & Wellness” and “Green” areas, while also expanding new businesses in the “Healthcare” area to contribute even more to the well-being of the Vietnamese people and society, in accordance with our “Evolved Purpose”.

Ajinomoto Vietnam began business in Vietnam in the early 1990s, with the first product being monosodium glutamate (MSG) from “AminoScience”. We have now expanded to more than 40 products. However, we do not want to limit ourselves to the field of food seasonings and wish to expand further, so we can contribute more to the people and society of Vietnam.

Recently, in March, we launched the Blendy® Instant Herbal Tea product line, which is an instant tea containing traditional herbs with a low-sugar formula, in particular supplemented with glycine - an amino acid with a function to improve sleep quality - thereby contributing to the health of the Vietnamese people.

In the near future, we plan to expand our business into the Healthcare area through medical food products used for the treatment of specific diseases. Consequently, the company will not only contribute to the well-being of healthy individuals but also help in the care and treatment of illnesses and improve the quality of life for those suffering from specific diseases. Through this, we aim to demonstrate our role as a company working on resolving food and health challenges.

Finally, we are also leveraging “AminoScience” to promote green and sustainable agriculture in Vietnam. With amino acids, we have created agricultural products such as animal feed and bio-fertilizers. Simultaneously, through our “Sustainable Cassava” project, we help farmers with efficient cultivation techniques that enhance productivity and improve their earnings.

Amino acids have massive and diverse applications in many fields based on their unlimited power. Can you tell us more about how the Ajinomoto Group has leveraged “AminoScience” in its business?

Mr. Tsutomu Nara

First of all, I would like to share the history of why amino acids have a “special bond” with the Ajinomoto Group.

It originated from AJI-NO-MOTO® monosodium glutamate, the world’s first umami seasoning with the main ingredient being glutamic acid, a common amino acid in nature present in most daily foods and in the human body, produced by natural fermentation from natural raw materials. This revolutionary product was invented by Dr. Kikunae Ikeda in 1908, when he identified that the amino acid - glutamic acid - was the key to creating the umami taste, also known as deliciousness, which is the fifth basic taste alongside sweet, sour, salty, and bitter.

With the desire to improve the nutrition of the Japanese people, Dr. Ikeda’s invention was realized by businessman Saburosuke Suzuki II through the launch of AJI-NO-MOTO® monosodium glutamate in the market. Since then, the research into and the discovery of the power of amino acids has become the core foundation of the Ajinomoto Group, demonstrated by the continuous application of the power of amino acids to bring value in various fields.

Today, the Ajinomoto Group has been leveraging “AminoScience” to develop and innovate its business operations in the four growth areas to contribute to the well-being of people, society, and our planet, specifically:

• In the Food & Wellness area, with unique deliciousness creation technology originating from “AminoScience”, the Ajinomoto Group provides various foods that meet diverse nutritional needs without compromising taste. This is called “Nutrition Without Compromise”. We create a harmony of taste, aroma, and texture in the food, not only bringing deliciousness to every dish but also creating added value for customers, including health, sustainability, and smart cooking.
• In the Healthcare area, the Ajinomoto Group contributes to the treatment of diseases, including rare and intractable conditions, and the prevention of illnesses through advanced technologies applying amino acids, such as the development of stem cell culture media, gene therapy, and medical food for rare diseases, thereby helping to provide well-being and extend the healthy life expectancy of people.
• In the Information & Communication Technology (ICT) area, the Ajinomoto Group continually contributes to the development of the semiconductor industry for a future society with smart cities, autonomous vehicles, and high-speed communications through the development and business of an insulating material - Ajinomoto Build-up Film (ABF) - which is used to protect IC (integrated circuit) chips in the central processing units (CPUs) of electronic devices such as servers, computers, and phones, etc.
• In the Green field, the Ajinomoto Group contributes to society and the Earth with a future-oriented view through sustainable environmental practices, by transitioning to a recycling-based biogenic cycle and developing new food standards, including the production and supply of plant-based protein or microbial protein produced from fermentation technology using CO₂.

There was news recently that Ajinomoto Vietnam is to introduce medical food applied in the treatment of specific diseases that cannot be treated with conventional medicine or therapies. Could you provide more specific details about these products?

Mr. Nguyen Van Trung

Around the world and in Vietnam, there are diseases that cannot be treated with medication alone; but restricted nutritional diets through meals or medical food products can help.

Specifically, medical food products for specific diseases are designed according to specialized nutritional requirements, following treatment protocols or guidelines approved worldwide. These products not only help meet the unique nutritional needs of individuals with specific medical conditions or illnesses but also play a role in treating diseases and effectively improving health conditions. These products can be considered a method of treatment that enhances health and the quality of life for patients.

With the advantage of “AminoScience”, the Ajinomoto Group has developed medical food products in the field of nutritional therapy, which are widely used globally.

I understand that you and many other people out there, especially those suffering from specific diseases, are eagerly awaiting information about these medical food products. However, at this time, we still have some necessary steps to take before officially bringing the products to market, so please excuse me for not being able to share specific details today. But I hope that, shortly, Ajinomoto Vietnam will be able to proudly share further details about these products when they are launched, contributing to treatment and improvements to the quality of life for people suffering from these diseases.