Bandung, May 26, 2023 - PT AJINOMOTO INDONESIA (Ajinomoto) through the Horeka (Hotel, Restaurant, Catering) Department conducted a seminar with the theme "Modern Cooking" at the NHI Bandung Poltekpar. The seminar, which was attended by students of the NHI Bandung Polytechnic of Tourism & Culinary on May 26, 2023, was Ajinomoto's effort to support future chefs and culinary entrepreneurs in creating a variety of delicious and healthy food creations, as well as providing informative facts and the benefits of umami seasonings such as Monosodium Glutamate (MSG).
Present as one of the speakers, Katarina Larasati - Product and Nutrition Manager, PR Department of PT AJINOMOTO INDONESIA. Katarina said it was important to prevent degenerative diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and hypertension by taking into account recommendations from the Indonesian Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) regarding limiting intake of sugar, salt and fat (GGL).
"As a determinant of culinary trends in the future, prospective chef should start considering implementing restrictions on sugar, salt and fat for culinary trends that are safer for health while maintaining delicious elements in their food menu creations." said Katarina.
Katarina added that currently Ajinomoto is in the midst of activating several health initiatives driven by Health Providers. Health Provider, which is the name for Ajinomoto employees, initiates several environmental and health preservation activities – one of which is the Smart Salt campaign which is in line with the recommendations of the Indonesian Ministry of Health regarding reducing intake of Sugar, Salt, Fat (GGL) in daily consumption.
"Through the Smart Salt campaign which is being activated, Ajinomoto wants to educate the public about the importance of a low-salt diet and invite Indonesian families to live healthier lives by reducing their intake or use of salt in preparing food, but can still get a high taste. This campaign is also proof of Ajinomoto's commitment to continue to make a positive contribution to society, by improving the welfare and health of Indonesian families through high-quality products and services. To see details of our Smart Salt menu, you can access it through the Dapur Umami website: https://www.dapurumami.com/page/bijak-garam," said Katarina.
“In fact, several studies such as those conducted by Jeremia Halim et al (2020) show that the use of MSG can be a strategy for a low-salt diet. This is because the sodium content in MSG is only one-third (⅓) of the sodium content in ordinary table salt," she continued.
In the next session, the Horeka Dept. of Ajinomoto also shared tips on creating a food menu that still applies Salt Wise, balanced nutritional guidelines, and of course delicious. These tips and material are presented in the Horeka Product Knowledge information and the Tori no Suimono (Japanese Chicken Soup) menu taste trial presented by Ryo Nakamura, Head of Horeka Dept. and Chef Derri Afrian, Corporate Chef Ajinomoto.
"In presenting a taste trial for this simple Tori no Suimono menu, we include a source of protein from chicken, and a source of fiber is also available from vegetables such as broccoli and carrots. This taste test menu uses AJI-NO-MOTO® PLUS seasoning which can increase the level of savory and more delicious harmonization, compared to ordinary MSG and in the end is able to reduce the use of table salt by 30% equivalent to reducing sodium in cooking by 12%. With a more savory level, it can be used less, namely (¼) than ordinary MSG so that it can save more on production costs," said Ryo Nakamura.
At that day's of event, Ajinomoto also provided Horeka products such as AJI-NO-MOTO® PLUS, Chicken Extract Powder, and SAORI Oyster Sauce, to be used in student practicum activities in the Culinary Management Study Program, Poltekpar NHI Bandung for 6 months as a form of Ajinomoto's support for the world of Culinary Education in Indonesia and also to introduce the benefits of Ajinomoto's products. Ajinomoto also presented a guest lecture by Chef Adhi Setiawan, Sous Chef from a 5-star hotel in Bandung, who is also an alumni of the 2011 Batch of the NHI Bandung Polytechnic of Tourism & Culinary. Chef Adhi presented the menu “Blackpaper Beef Capcicum Foam” and taught several molecular gastronomy cooking techniques to students. NHI Bandung to elevate a simple menu to fine dining. With this activity, Ajinomoto hopes to educate seminar participants about nutritional information with scientific facts, and contribute to making aspiring chefs and culinary entrepreneurs not only concerned with food taste and quality, but also more aware and concerned about health.