Officially launched by Mr. Mitsunobu Suzumi, the Managing Director and
witnessed by Mr. Gew Ah Lek, the Sales & Marketing Director (left) and the
Prof Khor Geok Lin from Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, University Putra Malaysia (UPM)

Kuala Lumpur, 16 December 2008: Just over a century ago, a Japanese scientist, Professor Kikunae Ikeda, began research to ascertain the true nature of ‘deliciousness’. He believed that “by improving the taste of a plain food, one can improve digestion, thus enhancing the nutritional status”. In other words, delicious foods help to improve nutrient intake for a healthy life.

A new word for an old taste, umami

Professor Ikeda discovered that glutamate – an amino acid – was responsible for the delicious taste in ‘dashi’, the Japanese soup stock made from konbu (a type of seaweed). Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, which is an important component of muscle and other tissues.

Professor Ikeda coined the term umami to describe this unique taste in 1908, to differentiate it from the other basic ‘tastes’ of sweet, sour, salty and bitter. Therefore, umami is also referred to the 5th basic taste. It is described as “savoury” or “broth-like” taste imparted by glutamate in meat, fish, vegetables and dairy products.

With the discovery of umami and glutamate, Professor Ikeda then found that Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) was an ideal flavour enhancer because it produced a strong umami taste, was readily soluble in water, had high stability, absorbed no humidity and can be applied to a variety of foods.

MSG under the brand name of AJI-NO-MOTO® was first marketed in Japan in 1909. The raw materials used for the production of AJI-NO-MOTO® come from natural sources such as sugar cane, tapioca, sago, etc. It is produced by the fermentation process which is a common biological process used to make products like soy sauce, vinegar, fermented rice and yoghurt. 2009 marks the 100th year of the existence of the product AJI-NO-MOTO®.

Umami is more than just taste.

Glutamate is the source of the umami taste and the key component of AJI-NO-MOTO®. It not only enhances the taste of food but also brings nutritional and physiological benefits.

As we grow older, most of us loose some of our sense of taste and smell. The food begins to taste bland which then lead to lesser food intake. This means we are often not taking enough nutrients into our bodies as age advances. Enhancing foods with AJI-NO-MOTO® or MSG can make them more delicious and appetising, which encourages adequate dietary intake amongst the elderly.

In the same way, parents can apply umami into dishes that children may not otherwise eat especially for the nutritious foods which children normally associate it with tastelessness. Besides that Umami seasoning also plays an important role in making slightly bitter foods such as certain vegetables more palatable for those with sensitive taste buds. As a whole, glutamate enhances the enjoyment of eating for everyone.

The new role of the umami substance, glutamate

Our sense of taste plays the role of signaling our bodies which foods are good for us. Taste receptors of the taste buds on our tongues help the body to recognise the various tastes of sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami. Umami signals the presence of protein in food, which is essential to human beings and all living things.

Recent research has discovered that there are umami / glutamate receptors not only on the tongue but also in the stomach. When food enters the stomach and glutamate receptors detect the presence of glutamate, this information is relayed to the brain and an order is sent from the brain to the stomach to prepare for digestion of food.

Thus, glutamate is not only to produce deliciousness through the umami taste but also promotes better digestion and absorption, and then adequate nutrient intake subsequently helps in maintaining good health. This is more significant when we enhance the taste of a nutritious food with glutamate based seasoning such as AJI-NO-MOTO®.

With this, the AJINOMOTO® Group now introduces “EAT WELL, BE WELL”. EAT WELL through the enjoyment of delicious food with the umami taste and BE WELL by enhancing your nutrient intake for a healthy life.

A range of promotional activities will be arranged by Ajinomoto (Malaysia) Berhad after the launch of “Eat Well, Be Well” such as consumer contest, TV commercial, print advertisement, road show, campaign logo printing on products packaging, symposium, school educational project, culinary activities etc.