AJINOMOTO Philippines Corp. (APC), in cooperation with the Philippine Medical Association (PMA), lead a gathering of health and nutrition experts for “Discover UMAMI: A Symposium on the Importance of Taste to Health” at the 102nd PMA Convention in EDSA Shangri-La.

Celebrating 100 years of great seasoning and a tradition of good food, Ajinomoto brought medical and nutrition experts who presented the strong science behind the fifth basic taste called “umami” and shed light on some health-related myths and misconceptions.

Renowned and respected speakers presented researches proving the irrefutable existence of a fifth basic taste that is different from the sweet, sour, bitter, and salty categories that is learned from school. The symposium also delved into discussions on the sources of the umami taste and information about glutamates, including one of its forms monosodium glutamate, or popularly known as MSG. It served as a venue to debunk common food-related myths, such as the unfounded rumors on MSG.

The panel includes Dr. Nemencio A. Nicodemus Jr., Internal Medicine-Endocrinology doctor and associate professor in UP and Ateneo; General Pediatrics, Allergy & Immunology expert Dr. Frances Tan; and Dr. Josefa Eusebio, President of the Glutamate Association of the Philippines.

Dr. Aurora Saulo, Extension Specialist in Food Technology from the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition of the University of Hawaii in Manoa, and Dr. Takashi Kondoh, senior physiologist at the Institute of Life Science in Tokyo, also graced the event. Representatives from the Food and Nutrition Research Institute also shared their knowledge about umami.