US: Ajinomoto ramps up US production

By Gavin Blair | 16 April 2010

Japanese food manufacturer Ajinomoto is ramping up its US operations to serve Wal-Mart outlets.

The company will invest JPY1.2bn (US$12.88m) to add a production line at its Oregon plant in order to meet growing demand for rice-based dishes, to be sold at Wal-Mart-affiliated outlets.

Due to become operational in November, the line will boost capacity for frozen meals by 125% to 18,000 tons a year.

US sales for the financial year to March were JPY5bn, Daisuke Sugimoto of Ajinomoto’s frozen food overseas operation department in Tokyo told just-food. The company is forecasting a doubling of sales by 2015.

“Fried rice, gyoza and fried noodles are some of the promising items for Ajinomoto Frozen Foods USA,” suggested Sugimoto.

While Asia remains the core territory for Ajinomoto’s trademark seasonings, the company sells most of its frozen food meals in the growing US market, which is around seven times larger than Japan’s sector.