Ajinomoto Enters Menu Seasonings Market in Brazil
15 Jul 2014 --- Ajinomoto Brazil has launched three varieties of Satis!, a new menu seasoning for milanesa, throughout Brazil. With Satis!, milanesa can also be prepared in an oven or microwave, making it Brazil’s first menu seasoning for deep-fried foods that can be used without oil.
A familiar dish in Brazilian households, milanesa is a meat fillet that is seasoned with spices, coated with breadcrumbs and fried.
Ajinomoto Brazil, a consolidated subsidiary of Japanese food firm Ajinomoto, will provide and contribute to “Deliciousness” and “Well-being” for consumers in that country.
The Brazilian market for menu seasonings has been growing rapidly, with a compound annual growth rate of about 60 percent from 2009 to 2013 according to a 2013 market survey by Ajinomoto Brazil. Entry into this market has positioned the Ajinomoto Group for expansion in a new business category in Brazil.
One of the most popular dishes in Brazil, along with churrasco1 and feijoada, milanesa is eaten in an estimated 40% of Brazilian households at least once a week. However, there has been some latent dissatisfaction with the inconsistent results despite the effort that goes into preparation.
In response, Ajinomoto Brazil developed Satis!. Simply coating the meat with this seasoning makes it easy to prepare delicious, crispy milanesa like a professional cook. This exemplifies the Ajinomoto Group’s approach of “Creating Specialty (high added value)” by applying cutting-edge technologies to produce “Deliciousness” and “New Value” adapted to each country. The name Satis! is derived from the Portuguese word “satisfação,” meaning “satisfaction,” and reflects Ajinomoto Brazil’s desire to satisfy consumers.
While almost all Brazilian households already have ovens, microwaves have also become increasingly common with the nation’s economic development. Consumers are using microwaves not just for reheating but also for cooking. Recognizing that trend, Ajinomoto Brazil made Satis! compatible with oven-baking, microwaving or deep-frying. Oven-baking and microwaving are healthier options because they do not use oil.
With a population of approximately 200 million, Brazil is a market that is expected to continue to grow. Ajinomoto Co. entered the Brazilian market in 1956, and its business there includes seasonings, amino acids, powdered beverages and cosmetics. Sales in Brazil are currently the second-largest within the Ajinomoto Group, after Thailand.
In the Ajinomoto Group’s Medium-Term Management Plan, Brazil is one of the “Five Stars” - the core countries in ASEAN and Latin America where the Ajinomoto Group does business - and is positioned as a key country that will drive growth. Ajinomoto Co. intends to triple sales of consumer foods in Brazil by fiscal 2020 (ending March 2021) compared with the level in fiscal 2012.
The powdered seasonings market in Brazil is projected to grow by an average of 9 percent annually. While steadily expanding its existing product line for Sazón, the top brand of flavor seasonings in Brazil, Ajinomoto Brazil will build the menu seasoning brand Satis! into a second core product line to accelerate growth.
The Ajinomoto Group aims to be a genuine global specialty company that contributes to well-being through providing more delicious, higher-quality products adapted to local food cultures and customs.
