What More Than Gourmet does

More Than Gourmet is a specialty food ingredient brand operating under Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition North America, Inc., itself a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Ajinomoto Group. Headquartered at the Akron, Ohio facility, the brand manufactures stocks, broths, and sauce concentrates, and participates in the broader Ajinomoto North American portfolio of ingredient solutions spanning flavor enhancement, sodium reduction, and product reformulation. Customers include food and beverage manufacturers and foodservice operators across North America, served through a B2B enterprise sales model that emphasizes collaborative co-creation with customer R&D and procurement teams.

The underlying technology platform is anchored in AminoScience — Ajinomoto Group's proprietary body of expertise in amino acids and fermentation, developed over more than a century since the 1908 discovery of umami. The portfolio includes branded ingredient systems such as Savorboost (umami and kokumi flavor enhancers), Salt Answer (sodium reduction solutions), and Palate Perfect (meaty flavor and mouthfeel enhancement), alongside conventional stocks, broth concentrates, tamari soy sauce, and roasted sesame oil. Quality and food safety are governed by the proprietary Ajinomoto System of Quality Assurance (ASQUA), which integrates ISO 9001, HACCP, SQF/GFSI, USDA Organic, FSMA, and Kosher/Halal certifications across multiple North American manufacturing sites in Itasca, IL (also the Customer Engagement Center), Eddyville, IA, and Akron, OH.

The business model is a sales-led, enterprise-field-sales motion in which pricing is not publicly disclosed and each engagement is structured around direct customer collaboration on complex formulation challenges such as sodium reduction, sugar reduction, and taste/texture optimization. Revenue derives from the sale of specialized ingredient solutions to manufacturers and foodservice operators, with the company participating actively in industry events such as IFT and maintaining a multilingual digital presence (English, French, Japanese, Spanish) to support cross-border engagements. Strategic and operational control flows through The Ajinomoto Group, a Japanese multinational with diversified operations across amino acids, food and beverage, medical nutrition, animal nutrition, personal care, and regenerative medicine.

Name

More Than Gourmet

Legal name

Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition North America, Inc.

Website

https://morethangourmet.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

More Than Gourmet is a North American specialty food ingredient brand under Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition North America, Inc., producing stocks, broths, and sauce concentrates for food and beverage manufacturers and foodservice operators, leveraging Ajinomoto Group's AminoScience fermentation platform and co-creation B2B sales model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Ingredient Manufacturing

NAICS

Mayonnaise, Dressing, and Other Prepared Sauce Manufacturing (311941), Flavoring Syrup and Concentrate Manufacturing (311930), Food Manufacturing (311)

SIC

Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty & Functional Packaged Foods (Gluten-Free, Keto, Organic, Medical/Allergen-Friendly) (CRADAAAI)

Keywords

• Food ingredient manufacturing
• Umami flavor enhancers
• Sodium reduction solutions
• Stock and broth production
• Foodservice ingredient solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Akron

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Ingredient Solutions: Sale of specialized food and beverage ingredients including umami boosters, flavor enhancers, sodium reduction solutions, and sauce concentrates to manufacturers and foodservice operators.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

More Than Gourmet manufactures stocks, broths, and sauce concentrates at its Akron, Ohio facility as a brand under Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition North America. The company also supplies ingredient solutions to food and beverage manufacturers and foodservice operators, including umami flavor enhancers (Savorboost), sodium reduction systems (Salt Answer), meaty flavor and mouthfeel solutions (Palate Perfect), and specialty seasonings such as gluten-free tamari soy sauce and roasted sesame oil.

Product overview

Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition North America offers a portfolio of ingredient solutions for the food and beverage industry, centered on 'AminoScience' and umami innovation. The More Than Gourmet® brand (based in Akron, Ohio) produces stocks, broths, and sauce concentrates. The broader product portfolio includes flavor enhancers (Savorboost™ UM^ and K^), sodium reduction solutions (Salt Answer™ S and DR-CR), and Palate Perfect™ FM-U for meaty flavor enhancement. Supporting products include Tamari Soy Sauce (gluten-free), Roasted Sesame Oil, and specialty broth concentrates like Beef Pho. The portfolio is organized around sodium reduction, flavor improvement, and texture enhancement capabilities, serving food manufacturers and foodservice operators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Savorboost™ UM^ High umami flavor enhancer that delivers taste through glutamate and nucleotide synergy for food and beverage applications.
• Savorboost™ K^ Contains high (>2.5%) levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) to deliver harmony, body, and complex flavor found in aged or properly cooked foods.
• Salt Answer™ S Salt reduction solution using increased flavor complexity, designed for sauces, broths, snacks, and bakery applications.
• Salt Answer™ DR-CR Salt reduction solution via increased flavor complexity, formulated for creamy dressings and sauces, seasonings, and snacks.
• Palate Perfect™ FM-U Meaty flavor and fatty mouthfeel enhancement solution that utilizes umami technology to intensify flavors.
• Chicken Stock Concentrate – Organic – 32 Brix Rich certified organic chicken broth concentrate with mild sweetness, produced as part of the More Than Gourmet line.
• Tamari Soy Sauce: Gluten-Free (Liquid) Fermented using 100% soybeans to provide a gluten-free umami seasoning for food and beverage applications.
• Roasted Sesame Oil Authentically roasted sesame oil that delivers nutty flavor and minimal undesirable off-notes for maximum flavor complexity.
• Beef Pho Broth Concentrate Beef, ginger and onion flavored broth concentrate designed for Asian cuisine applications.
• More Than Gourmet® Brand (Stocks, Broths, and Sauce Concentrates) Brand based in Akron, Ohio producing stocks, broths, and sauce concentrates that honor umami heritage and culinary craftsmanship, bringing classic flavor traditions to scale with consistency and care.

Quantifiable outcome

• 130 acres of wetlands restored at Eddyville facility demonstrating commitment to sustainability

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Global Brands and InstitutionscoreOthersCompany works with trusted brands and global institutions across many industries to solve complex challenges, create new products, and enhance lives. Partners collaborate with Ajinomoto for flavor enhancement, sodium reduction, and product innovation solutions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• Givaudan: World's largest flavor and fragrance company with an extensive food ingredient portfolio. Competes broadly in flavor solutions across CPG and foodservice categories.
• Symrise: Global flavor and nutrition ingredients company with a strong taste portfolio. Overlapping B2B customer base in food manufacturers and foodservice, with broader geographic reach and product range.
• International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF): Major global ingredients company spanning flavors, fragrances, enzymes, and food ingredients. Significantly larger scale but overlapping customer base in B2B food and beverage formulation solutions.
• McCormick & Company: Major flavor company offering B2B ingredient and seasoning solutions alongside branded consumer products. Larger scale and broader portfolio but addresses similar formulation challenges for food manufacturers.
• Hormel Foods: Diversified meat products and ingredient company with a broths and stock product line (e.g., Herb-Ox, Chicken Tonight). Adjacent category player with meaningful scale advantage in protein-derived ingredients and foodservice channels.

Direct peers

• Ingredion: Global ingredient solutions provider for food, beverage, and industrial customers. Comparable B2B food ingredient business model serving manufacturers with specialty functional and taste solutions.
• Kerry Group: Leading global B2B taste and nutrition ingredients company serving food and beverage manufacturers. Directly comparable as a B2B ingredient solutions provider with fermentation and flavor expertise targeting the same manufacturer and foodservice customer base.
• DSM-Firmenich: Global leader in taste, nutrition, and health ingredients formed from the DSM and Firmenich merger. Directly comparable in flavor, fermentation, and ingredient categories targeting the same global CPG customers.
• Tate & Lyle: Specialty food ingredients and solutions company serving food manufacturers with texturants, sweeteners, and flavor solutions. Comparable as a B2B ingredient supplier addressing similar formulation and clean-label challenges.
• Pacific Foods: Organic broths and stocks manufacturer serving both retail and foodservice channels. Closest direct competitor in the broth/stock product category, with overlapping organic certification positioning and B2B foodservice relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ajinomoto-health-&-nutrition-north-america-inc.

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about More Than Gourmet