Ajinomoto, Kellogg to Develop Healthy Foods

TOKYOAjinomoto Co. Inc., and Kellogg Co. have entered into a global R&D alliance agreement to develop innovative products that deliver benefits in the areas of weight management, sugar reduction, and sodium reduction.

"The potential for synergy between Kellogg's strong marketing and product development capabilities combined with Ajinomoto's excellence in basic and applied research is unique and exciting," said Masatoshi Ito, Ajinomoto president & CEO.

Ajinomoto is the sole distributor of Kellogg products in Japan and has an extensive portfolio of ingredients, including capsiate and monatin, in its R&D arsenal. Capsiate is found in a unique non-pungent chili pepper called CH-19 sweet. Its structure is similar to capsaicin, which is the pungent substance of chili pepper; however, it does not deliver a pungent taste or irritation. The fat burning effect and metabolism acceleration of capsiate is known to be the same as capsaicin. Monatin is a non-caloric sweetener from a South African plant that is 2,000 times sweeter than sucrose.