July 31 2006 – Ajinomoto has reported a 6%, or YEN 15 billion, year on year increase in first quarter FY 2006 sales.
Sales for the three months to June 30 were YEN 276.5 billion (EUR 1.89 billion), the company has said in its quarterly earnings statement.
Operating income rose YEN 2.6 billion, or 35%.
Ajinomoto’s income from domestic food products grew 1.5% to YEN 150.4 billion over the quarter; overseas food product sales rose 5.9% to YEN 28.1 billion. Overseas sales of seasonings and processed foods rose 5.7% to YEN 27.7 billion.
Domestic seasonings & processed foods sales slipped 10.1% for the period to YEN 52.6 billion.
Net sales in the amino acid segment increase almost 8% to YEN 64.8 billion for the period.
MSG, Nucleotides
In its first quarter earnings statement, Ajinomoto estimates the FY2005 global market for monosodium glutamate at 1.75 million tonnes, of which it says China will account for 970 thousand tonnes. The company says it took a 34% share of the global MSG market during the last financial year.
The FY2005 global market for nucleotides is valued by Ajinomoto at 16 thousand tonnes; the company says it took a share of around 40% during the last financial year.
Aspartame
Ajinomoto estimates the FY2006 market for sweetner aspartame at 17.5-18.5 thousand tonnes, compared to 17-18 thousand tonnes the previous year. The company believes its share of the aspartame market remains unchanged year on year, at 40-45%.