AJINOMOTO ban: Importers ask gov to review its decision

In a press conference on Thursday, representatives from Ajinomoto Group Worldwide and EAL Man Hin made an appeal to the authorities to revisit their stance on the proposed ban of monosodium glutamate (MSG) in view of the wealth of documented and credible reports to the effect that MSG is safe. They also pointed out that the government decision might affect the relationship between local partners and international brands present in Mauritius. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"16355","attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-27598 alignleft","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"350","height":"197","alt":"Ajinomoto"}}]]“MSG is used in cooking around the world since more than a 100 years. It has been present in Mauritius for over 50 years. We understand and support the decision from the authorities to educate the public on the possible ill-effects linked to the overconsumption of sodium. That being said, it is important to note that MSG has a significantly lower sodium content than salt. As a flavour enhancer, it is actually better to add MSG than salt in your food preparation,” explains Thierry Liu Man Hin, manager of EAL Man Hin. AJINOMOTO Group Worldwide representatives Motohiro Komase, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer/Director for AJINOMOTO Malaysia stated that his company was following this matter very closely. “To date, no studies have shown any adverse effect of MSG on the health of consumers. While we understand the wish of the authorities to curb sodium intake, we simply think that the appropriate information was not made available,” said Motohiro Komase, from AJINOMOTO Malaysia. The Minister of Commerce and Industry, Ashit Gungah, announced on May 3, in the National Assembly that Ajinomoto will be banned from import in Mauritius. The Minister said that Ajinomoto contains sodium, which can be a ‘silent killer.’ He stressed that this substance has an effect on hypertension, which already affects more than 240,000 adults in Mauritius.