OREANDA-NEWS. Ajinomoto Co., Inc. integrated the Research & Development, marketing and sales operations of Ajinomoto Frozen Foods U.S.A., Inc. (AFU) into the Consumer Foods Division of Ajinomoto North America, Inc. (AJINA) in April 2013. With this reorganization, AJINA has established a new office on the premises of AFU and in July will begin full-scale integrated operation of development and sales of the shelf stable business, which includes seasonings and processed foods, and the frozen foods business.

North America is currently the world’s largest market for consumer foods, with annual sales of JPY 63 trillion (2011, Ajinomoto Co. estimate). The market has grown at a steady rate of 1 percent annually over the last five years. In the frozen foods business, AFU conducts “customer-driven development and sales” that offers value matching the tastes of Americans, and has been steadily expanding its business, mainly through sales to major hypermarkets. This reorganization will enable AJINA to roll out the successful model used in the frozen foods business to the shelf stable business. The newly established office is equipped with a test kitchen and tasting lab providing means for AJINA employees to communicate with chefs and customers directly while developing new products.

AJINA aims to increase net sales in the shelf stable and frozen foods businesses in North America to approximately USD 300 million (approximately JPY 30 billion)1 by fiscal 2020 by expediting integrated operation of development and sales of products that more closely match the tastes of local customers. As a frozen food production company mainly serving the United States, AFU will support expansion of the consumer foods business in North America.