11 May 2011 Savannah joins forces with Ajinomoto Sweeteners Europe

The hotly-contested market for aspartame in SA is in for a shake up with news that the world leader, Ajimimoto Sweeteners Europe (ASE), has entered the local market via its new agent, Savannah Fine Chemicals.

ASE is part of the Ajinomoto group of companies, the world biggest and most advanced producer of amino acids. It recently sent a trio of its big guns to SA to announce its local arrival: Okita Norifumi, President of ASE; Youssef Hamayet Elmili, Area Sales Manager Africa & Middle East; and Harald Meyer, Technical Director. They presented their company, credentials and the AminoSweet range of aspartame at breakfast seminars for customers and the media, hosted by Savannah in Jo’burg, Durban and Cape Town.

“At Savannah we pride ourselves in supplying quality material from quality suppliers that share our passion. Thus, when the opportunity presented itself to be able to work with Ajinomoto Sweeteners Europe we did not hesitate to accept,” says Savannah’s Colleen Maroun, who will handle the ASE portfolio in SA.

Seen at the ASE breakfast launch in Cape Town: Youssef Hamayet Elmili, Area Sales Manager Africa & Middle East; Okita Norifumi, President of ASE; Savannah’s Colleen Maroun and Kareline van der Spoel; and Harald Meyer, Technical Director.

“Ajionomoto Sweeteners is a company that wants to make a difference in their customer’s lives by adding value to their products and offering them the means of doing so with scientific support and a product of highest purity and performance,” she adds.

“At a time when more consumers than ever are looking for sugar-free products, we at Savannah see Aminosweet as an opportunity to penetrate the aspartame market successfully and spread the message that this 30-year old ingredient still has some tricks up its sleeve.”

Ajinomoto has more than 25 years’ experience in developing sweetening systems for a wide range of products. ASE supplies the food and drink industry throughout Europe, the CIS, the Middle East and Africa with Ajinomoto AminoSweet from its production facility at Gravelines in northern France. Quality assurance is a top priority and is fully integrated into all aspects of production.

Today there are more than 6 000 products globally available with aspartame, an ingredient approved in more than 100 countries. 

As can be expected whenever aspartame is discussed, Harald Meyer, spent some time explaining and dispelling the on-going controversy around aspartame.

He noted that ever since saccharin was invented towards the end of the nineteenth century, low calorie sweeteners have been criticised by people who, for a variety of reasons, like to unsettle the public about the safety of the foods and drinks they enjoy. Sometimes, stories have been spread by producers of sugar, and sometimes by makers of other low calorie sweeteners, and the viral myths continue to abound on the internet.

It is aspartame’s very success, based on its excellent sweet taste, that has been a particular focus of these attacks in recent years.

“Allegations about the safety of aspartame have no basis in science or common sense, as hundreds of research studies, including several recent ones, have proven,’ Meyer emphasised.

Food and drink manufacturers can download a briefing on the safety and benefits of aspartame here

Savannah Fine Chemicals: 011 856-4500; [email protected]

Ajinimoto Sweeteners Europe: www.aji-aspartame.eu