Ajinomoto Seeks to Bring Umami Taste Culture to Europe

Ajinomoto Co., the creator of monosodium glutamate flavoring more than 100 years ago, plans acquisitions and is looking to expand in Poland as it seeks growth in frozen food and seasoning in Europe and the U.S.

“We’ve been successful in growing frozen food that utilizes Japanese food culture; we’d like to do more,” Chief Executive Officer Masatoshi Ito said in an interview in Paris. “In Europe, there’s not much umami culture” and there’s potential for growth, he said. MSG triggers taste buds sensitive to umami, which means savory in Japanese, and is one of the five basic tastes.