Fermentation
The Science Behind Amino Acid Innovation
At Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition, fermentation is more than a manufacturing process. It is a core scientific capability that, when combined with the power of “AminoScience,” helps us develop amino acids and other ingredients used across food and beverage, health and wellness, biopharma and biotechnology, personal care, and a range of additional markets.
For more than 100 years, the Ajinomoto Group has advanced fermentation to create solutions that help customers address challenges related to taste, nutrition, functionality, performance, and product development.
What Is Fermentation?
Fermentation has been used for thousands of years to preserve food, enhance flavor, and create products such as yogurt, kimchi, miso, soy sauce, and other fermented foods enjoyed around the world.
At its core, fermentation is a natural biological process in which microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast, and fungi transform plant-derived ingredients into valuable compounds. In many traditional foods, this process breaks down proteins into amino acids that contribute to flavor, functionality, and other desired characteristics.
Today, fermentation remains the primary method for producing many of the amino acids and functional ingredients that form the foundation of our solutions across food and beverage, health and nutrition, biopharma and biotechnology, personal care, and more.
Fermentation Applications Across Markets
Food & Beverage
From sodium reduction and flavor enhancement to ingredient optimization and nutrition solutions, fermentation helps manufacturers create products that meet evolving consumer preferences without compromising taste.
Health & Nutrition
Fermentation enables the production of amino acids and other ingredients used in medical nutrition, wellness, and nutrition-focused applications.
Biopharma & Biotechnology
Our fermentation expertise supports the development and production of amino acids, cell culture media components, and other functional ingredients that help advance biopharmaceutical innovation and next-generation biotechnology applications.
Personal Care
Fermentation-derived ingredients and technologies support the performance, consistency, and functionality required across a range of personal care applications.
Creating Value Through Fermentation
Fermentation is deeply connected to the Ajinomoto Group’s approach to innovation and value creation. Through our ASV (Ajinomoto Group Creating Shared Value) approach and the power of “AminoScience,” we apply fermentation expertise to develop solutions that create value for customers, communities, and society.
The impact of fermentation extends beyond the ingredients we produce. Through our ASV approach, fermentation byproducts from some of our North American facilities are donated to local farmers for agricultural use, helping return nutrients to the soil and supporting a more circular use of resources that benefits both local agriculture and the communities where we operate.
Ready to Explore Fermentation-Based Solutions?
Whether you’re exploring amino acid technologies, ingredient solutions, biopharmaceutical applications, or personal care innovations, our team can help identify the right path forward.