Other Topics Relating to Health and Pharmaceuticals

Ajinomoto provides special sponsorship for World Diabetes Day Tokyo Tower lit up in blue

Currently, approximately five to six percent of the world's adult population is said to suffer from diabetes, and the number of diabetics is expected to reach 380 million in 2025. In Japan, one in three people over 40 years old has diabetes or is prediabetic (according to the 2006 National Health and Nutrition Survey).
In response to such facts, on December 20, 2006, the 192 member states of the United Nations (UN) unanimously adopted a resolution recognizing the global threat of diabetes. The UN also designated November 14, a date selected by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization (WHO), as World Diabetes Day.
Ajinomoto Co., Inc., has been manufacturing and marketing PAL SWEET Calorie Zero, a zero calorie sugarless sweetener, since 1998. In 2001, PAL SWEET Calorie Zero was approved by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as a Food for Special Dietary Uses (FOSDU) under the subcategory of Low-Calorie Foods. The product has been contributing to dietary lives as a sweetener appropriate for diabetics, the obese, and others who require restricted calorie intake.
Customers have expressed their pleasure with this product with such comments as, “I feel no pressure to avoid sweets anymore.” Doctors are also increasingly recommending the product to their patients.
In this context, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., provided special sponsorship for World Diabetes Day initiatives held in Japan, fully embracing the stated purpose of the campaign to push forward educational campaigns to promote the prevention and treatment of, and recuperation from diabetes. These initiatives were organized by the World Diabetes Day Committee in Japan, formed by the Japan Diabetes Society and the Japan Association for Diabetes Care and Education.
To mark the occasion of the first World Diabetes Day on November 14, 2007, Tokyo Tower was lit up in blue, a color symbolizing awareness of the prevention and treatment of diabetes. With Tokyo Tower shining in blue instead of its usual color, a broad message to raise awareness of diabetes was sent out to ordinary citizens.
The Ajinomoto Group plans to continue participating in activities to broaden educational campaigns in 2008 and onward.

Ajinomoto participates in the Kawasaki Science Café

Located in Kanagawa Prefecture, the industrial city of Kawasaki, which has over 200 corporate research laboratories, holds the Kawasaki Science Café as a place for researchers and engineers working in the city to communicate with residents in a relaxed atmosphere.
The Kawasaki Administration & Coordination Office of Ajinomoto Co., Inc., makes active efforts to regularly introduce people to its manufacturing processes through plant tours and other programs. However, few opportunities have existed for researchers to interact directly with city residents.
Researchers have expressed views such as, “I would like to ask consumers directly about their impressions and opinions of the Ajinomoto Group,” and, “I would like to give customers a sense of reassurance with respect to our products and company through the communication of information by developers.” Accordingly, on September 15, 2007, two of the company's researchers participated in the second Kawasaki Science Café.
The topic of that day was “The Scientific Approach to Authentic Chinese Food: Is Japan the Only Place That Uses Flame Red Doubanjiang?” (Doubanjiang is a Chinese broad bean chili paste.) The researchers, who acted as instructors, were Rie Akasaka and Hiroya Kawasaki of the Food Development & Technology Center in the Food Products Company of Ajinomoto Co., Inc. The backgrounds and ages of the 25 participants were broad, ranging from students to workers and the elderly.
After the instructors introduced themselves, they explained the history of doubanjiang and the body mechanisms for tasting it. After describing the traditional Chinese production method for doubanjiang, they explained the innovations behind the version made by Ajinomoto. Finally, the company employees shared tables with participants and discussed the topic of food 20 years in the future. Participants were actively engaged and created a lively discussion.
The event proved to be an excellent opportunity for these employees to reconsider the significance of their research and development and to take a fresh look at their daily work. They commented that, “It was refreshing to hear the voices of consumers and to experience an atmosphere that we cannot get in the laboratory,” and, “I felt that the City of Kawasaki and Ajinomoto Co., Inc., worked together to enliven the community.”

Amino Kids^®: An exciting educational program where parents and children have fun learning about amino acids

Since 2006, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., has held Amino Kids^®, an exciting educational program where fourth to sixth graders and their parents or guardians can have fun learning about amino acids.
One explanation of the birth of life on earth is that amino acids appeared in a primordial sea and proteins made from those acids eventually emerged. Over a long period of time, fish were created in the oceans and life advanced onto land, eventually leading to the evolution of humans.
Amino Kids^® is conducted in an aquarium so participants can better imagine the ocean and observe the fish. It is a hands-on learning event that uses experiments and quizzes about the relationship between amino acids and fish and between amino acids and our bodies in order to teach children and adults in a fun way.
In fiscal 2007, the program was held in Kanagawa (August 2007) and Fukuoka (March 2008) prefectures. Participants were introduced to the importance and complexities of amino acids through an orientation on the relationship between amino acids and fish, a briefing and tour of the aquarium led by aquarium staff, and a lecture on the basics of amino acids.
Participants provided very favorable comments about the program. A fourth grader said, “It was lots of fun with many quizzes. I was really glad to learn about fish and amino acids.” The parent of a fifth grader remarked, “In participating in this event together with my child, I felt we were able to communicate in a way that we normally cannot.”

Initiatives of Calpis Co., Ltd. to Contribute to Health and Great Taste

Under its corporate slogan of “Karada ni Peace” (“Healthy in both body and mind” in Japanese), Calpis Co., Ltd., is working through its manufacturing activities to contribute to both physical and emotional health.
CALPIS^®, the product from which the company gets its name, was first created nearly 90 years ago out of its founder's desire to “make something that tastes great and is good for the body.” This was achieved with Calpis starter, which is a community of lactobacillus (one of the lactic acid bacteria) and yeast. It provides the great taste and healthiness of CALPIS^®, which has remained unchanged since the founding of the company.
Among these microorganisms, lactobacillus is very beneficial for human health. The application of lactobacillus has three benefits: it raises the shelf life of food products, improves the taste of food products, and helps build physical health. With respect to the latter benefit in particular, lactobacillus is known to have the following effects: regulation of intestinal functions, anti-tumor action, stimulation of the immune system, reduction of blood cholesterol, and lowering of blood pressure.
Calpis Co., Ltd., will continue providing people with health and smiles through products that make use of the workings of lactobacillus and other microorganisms, while striving to raise awareness of the benefits of these substances.

For the purpose of communicating the fun of science to children—the bearers of our future—Calpis Co., Ltd., held science experiment classes at an elementary school in Chiba Prefecture in January 2008, with the approval of the Science Experiment Class Project, which was established through cooperation between the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
To counter the trend of children losing interest in the sciences, the project aims to deepen children’s understanding of science in a classroom environment connected to the real world and taught by businesspersons.
Based on the lactic acid fermentation technology developed over many years by Calpis Co., Ltd., the science experiment class on fermentation presented the fact that microorganisms and human beings share the same mechanisms for life, and emphasized the point that our enjoyment of great tasting food is made possible by microorganisms.
The aim of the class was to use CALPIS^®, a product familiar to children, as a reference for sparking an interest in science.
The class started by arousing the children's curiosity with a quiz that asked such questions as, “Why is CALPIS^® white?” The students then examined the difference between milk and cultured milk through smell, appearance, and litmus paper. Finally, they observed lactobacillus (one of the lactic acid bacteria) under a microscope. Six members of the company's research laboratory participated on the day of the class, each one handling a different experiment table and communicating with the students.
The children expressed impressions such as, “I thought we should appreciate the fact that people can enjoy delicious foods thanks to microorganisms,” and, “Learning the secrets of CALPIS^®, which I often drink, made this unusual class fun.”
For the laboratory staff members who participated, the event was different from their ordinary work and a valuable experience overall. Their feedback included comments such as, “I felt that through the class experiments, we really got the point across that science is fun,” and, “I was energized by the smiling faces of the children and the program of the class.”