Ajinomoto launches nutrient profiling system

Japanese seasoning company Ajinomoto has introduced Ajinomoto Group Nutrient Profiling System for Products (ANPS-P) as part of its global nutrition improvement activities.

Ajinomoto claims to be the first Japanese company to introduce a nutrient profiling system (NPS), a method to scientifically assess the nutritional value of products such as powdered soups and frozen foods.

ANPS-P covers nearly 500 products that are sold by nine Ajinomoto Group companies in seven countries, including Ajinomoto, Ajinomoto AGF, Ajinomoto Frozen Foods and Ajinomoto (Thailand).

Additionally, the products sold by Ajinomoto Vietnam, PT Ajinomoto Indonesia, Ajinomoto Philippines, Ajinomoto (Malaysia) Berhad and Ajinomoto Do Brasil Indústria E Comércio De Alimentos are also covered under ANPS-P.

The Japanese company noted that its ANPS-P system is based on the health star rating system, an NPS used in countries such as Australia and New Zealand.

The system assesses the nutritional value of products including calories, added sugars, sodium and saturated fats, as well as the quantity of each nutrient and food group such as proteins, vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes and dietary fibre.

The company anticipates that the introduction of the ANPS-P will facilitate a better understanding of nutritional issues by using a common standard to assess the nutritional value of its products.

Ajinomoto Group said that it will revise its products periodically and provide products with high nutritional value that will make it easy to reduce salt and improve consumer health.

The Japanese company is also planning to develop and launch a new NPS for meals that use the Ajinomoto Group products to support a nutritionally balanced diet.

Last month, Swiss multinational food and drink processing conglomerate Nestlé, along with other stakeholders (coalition) urged to make Nutri-Score mandatory in the EU.

Nutri-Score is a colour-coded system that categorises food and drinks according to its nutritional profile.

It gives a score ranging from A from to E. A represents a healthier choice while E represents a less healthy choice.