Our History
1908
Dr. Ikeda Discovers Umami
The story of Ajinomoto begins with Dr. Ikeda, a Japanese scientist passionate about nutrition. During a study trip to Germany, he was struck by the good health of the German population and, upon returning to Japan, resolved to help improve the nutrition of his fellow countrymen. In 1908, while enjoying a bowl of kombu dashi, he discovered a delicious taste previously unknown, glutamic acid, which he named “umami”. Inspired by the idea that great taste promotes better digestion, he developed an umami-based seasoning to enhance the everyday diet of the Japanese people.
1909
Creation of the Ajinomoto Group
Driven by his ambition to revolutionize nutrition in Japan, Dr. Ikeda partnered with Saburosuke Suzuki II, an entrepreneur who shared his vision. In 1909, they founded Ajinomoto and launched the world’s first umami seasoning: AJI-NO-MOTO®, meaning “essence of taste” in Japanese. The Group’s origins are rooted in this guiding principle: “Eat Well, Live Well.”
1972
Launch of Frozen Products
In the 1960s, the frozen food market was growing rapidly in Japan, but consumer trust was limited due to the low quality of frozen products. In this context, Ajinomoto entered the frozen food market in 1972. Leveraging the technologies developed in the seasoning sector, Ajinomoto launched high-quality frozen products, including its first Gyoza, quickly becoming a leading player.
2000
Expansion into France
Japanese sales representatives began approaching Japanese restaurants in Paris to sell Gyoza and other group specialties. The business grew over the years, supported by distribution partnerships with wholesalers supplying Asian restaurants. This phase laid the foundation for the Group’s frozen food business expansion in Europe, with Paris chosen as the location for its European headquarters.
2011
Commercial Development in Europe
Since opening its London office in 2011, Ajinomoto has steadily strengthened its commercial presence in Europe. Teams gradually expanded on the ground, with operations in Germany, Spain, and Italy.
Over ten years, the team doubled in size to support growing activities and now covers the entire European market.
2017
Acquisition of Labeyrie Traiteur Surgelés
The 2017 acquisition of Labeyrie Traiteur Surgelés, along with its two French production sites, provided the Group with a strong foothold in France. This allowed Ajinomoto to manage innovation and all European operations from France, staying close to the needs of European clients and consumers.
2018 – 2019
Investment in Castelsarrasin
Between 2018 and 2019, €5 million were invested to modernize the Castelsarrasin factory. This project included new production equipment, enhancing the site’s capacity to produce high-quality frozen desserts and macarons. This commitment supports the continuous improvement of production to meet the growing demands of the European and global markets.
2022 – 2023
Expansion of the Neubourg Factory and New Gyoza Line
A new chapter opened at Le Neubourg in 2023 with the introduction of the iconic Gyoza to the site. To support this expansion, Ajinomoto invested €13 million in enlarging the factory and installing a dedicated production line. Equipment designed in Japan was directly imported to ensure impeccable quality standards. The project also facilitated a transfer of expertise, with Japanese specialists training French teams on the technical requirements and intricacies of Gyoza production.Haut du formulaire
