Ajinomoto and T.Hasegawa join forces to pursue fermented natural flavours

Ingredients giant Ajinomoto has announced a business alliance with Japanese flavour and fragrance firm T.Hasegawa which will see the companies use fermentation technologies to develop natural flavours.

The deal, seen as ‘mutually complementary’, will also see Ajinomoto purchase 2.11% of T.Hasegawa’s shares at a cost of around €11.6 million (¥1.6 billion JPY) to increase the effectiveness of the business alliance.

A statement from Ajinomoto said the companies will combine T.Hasegawa’s flavour refining and formulation technologies with Ajinomoto’s biotechnologies and fermentation technologies - and utilise the business foundations of both companies to accelerate research, development and commercialisation of fermentation-derived natural flavours.

Through the alliance, the companies aim to launch fermentation-derived natural flavours and develop business globally within the next few years.