On 1 September 2016, Ajinomoto do Brasil Indústria e Comércio de Alimentos, a consolidated subsidiary of Ajinomoto will begin sales in Brazil of amino VITAL GOLD, an amino acid supplement that can efficiently replenish the amino acids necessary for conditioning in people who enjoy sports to the limit.
This will be the first time for Ajinomoto Co. to sell an amino acid health food for sports in Brazil.
The sports supplement market in Brazil was BRL 752m (approximately JPY 23.7bn) in 2015, and has been growing continuously at an average annual rate of more than 10% over the past six years. This market is made up of proteins, branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) and other products, with BCAA accounting for approximately 25% of the total (Ajinomoto Brazil estimate for 2016).
The sport most sports supplement purchasers engage in is running. The number of runners has continued to grow in recent years, mainly in large cities, and totaled around 2 million in 2015, making running second in popularity to football.
amino VITAL GOLD is an advanced amino acid supplement made from Ajinomoto Co.’s original mixture of 4,000mg of essential amino acids,1 mainly BCAA with a high amount of leucine,2 a major component of muscle tissue. It was developed to resolve issues such as the burden of the punishing daily work-outs of athletes around the world who challenge their limits, which hinders them from continuing their training. Since its launch in Japan in August 2012, the product has been widely used by top athletes and competitors aiming to be the top athletes of the future.
Regulations regarding the sale of amino acid supplements are strict in Brazil, and only BCAA products are permitted. Consequently, Ajinomoto Brazil obtained approval for the product in May 2016 as a novel food,3 a classification for new food and/or food ingredients.
Ajinomoto Brazil will begin sales of amino VITAL GOLD through its online shop on September 1 and plans to offer samples at marathons and other venues as it works for the penetration of the amino VITAL brand.
Ajinomoto Brazil was established in 1956 and has been growing along with Brazil for more than half a century. Currently, it conducts the feed-use, pharmaceutical-use and food-use amino acid businesses and the food products business, which includes seasonings and powdered soft drinks. With the launch of amino VITAL® GOLD, the company aims to expand into the field of health foods for sports.
