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Ajinomoto Co., Inc. files patent infringement suits in China and Japan over MSG manufacturing process
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Friday, 07 November, 2025, 15 : 00 PM [IST]
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Tokyo
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Ajinomoto Co., Inc. has initiated legal action against Meihua Holdings Group Co., Ltd. (and three of its subsidiaries) in China, and FDJ Co., Ltd. in Japan, alleging patent infringement of its proprietary manufacturing process for monosodium glutamate (MSG). The suits were filed on October 9, 2025 with the Guangdong High People’s Court in China and the Tokyo District Court in Japan.
Ajinomoto asserts that Meihua Group’s Chinese operations manufacture MSG products using processes that infringe on the company’s patents. The legal action seeks injunctions to stop production and sales of the allegedly infringing products, as well as compensation for damages. At the same time, Ajinomoto has applied for injunctions and damages relating to imports and sales of these products in Japan via FDJ Co. Ltd.
Ajinomoto, a global leader in the manufacture of MSG and the maker of the flagship seasoning brand AJI-NO-MOTO, emphasised that its intensive R&D investments underpin its manufacturing technologies and that infringement of its intellectual property would hinder its innovation efforts.
In its statement, Ajinomoto said it will continue to protect its rights and pursue all necessary measures to safeguard its research and technology built on over a century of amino-acid science, aligning with its mission to contribute to “the well-being of all human beings, our society and our planet with AminoScience.”
This legal step underscores the growing importance of protecting manufacturing process patents in the global food-ingredient industry, particularly amid rising competition in the MSG and seasoning segment across China, Japan and beyond.
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