Achievement by 2020: 2) Health and Pharmaceuticals
Amino acids are a basic building block of all life forms. Ajinomoto is determined to be more proactive in clarifying the diverse functions and benefits of amino acids in the health and pharmaceutical sectors as well as with people around the world.
Activities to Improve Nutrition in Developing Countries Using Amino Acids
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A woman makes kenkey, a traditional food in Ghana made of fermented maize. |
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Iced kenkey drink made from kenkey is a popular beverage drunk through a straw. |
Amino acids are vital to humanity and the Earth. However, sufficient amounts of amino acids are not always provided to all those who really need them. Nearly one billion people worldwide are said to be suffering from malnutrition—this is a major issue facing the international community.
For more than ten years, the Ajinomoto Group has been conducting the Lysine Project in Pakistan, China, Syria, and other developing countries and regions. The project engages in field studies designed for nutritional improvement using lysine, an essential amino acid. These studies have demonstrated that small amounts of lysine consumed with daily meals improve the symptoms of malnutrition. In 2009, to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of Ajinomoto Co., Inc., the group is taking a major step forward from field research to practical application. Although its goals are to realize CSR through the business of supplying Lysine in daily diets, which would contribute to the improvement of nutrition, it will be necessary to meet the following challenges:
- Food containing lysine must taste good and fit the daily dietary habits of local people.
- Food containing lysine must be distributed to the people who need it.
- Projects must provide opportunities for greater economic prosperity among the local populace, as well as promote health.
- Projects must be sustainable.
Although these challenges are formidable, the Ajinomoto Group has a reservoir of technology and a broad array of businesses that can guide the Lysine Project along a path to success. The group has been making efforts to make a trial project sustainable with the University of Ghana, which is located in the area where it conducted a study from 2007. Once this project is successful, it will provide a model case for future international support and collaborative projects. The Ajinomoto Group is committed to continue working as a responsible member of the international community, and its employees are proud to help contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)1 through these activities.
1. UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): Eight goals that respond to the world's main development challenges, based on the Millennium Declaration adopted at the UN Millennium Summit in September 2000. The goals are to: eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; achieve universal primary education; promote gender equality and empower women; reduce child mortality; improve maternal health; combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases; ensure environmental sustainability; and develop a global partnership for development.
