Business May. 10, 2008 - 06:52AM JST ( 0 )

TOKYO —

Ajinomoto Co said Friday its group net profit in fiscal 2008 is expected to total 30-33 billion yen, up 6.3-16.9% from the previous year, thanks to a recovery in its domestic food business.

Operating profit in the year to March 2009 is projected at 65-70 billion yen, up 7.4-15.5%, and sales are estimated at 1,272.5-1,277.5 billion yen, up 4.6-5%. The major Japanese seasoning maker plans to improve the profitability of the domestic food business by reinforcing sales of its flagship products and reducing production costs.

For its amino acid operations, Ajinomoto will expand production facilities to meet growing demand and develop technologies that will help the company offset the impact of surging crude oil and material prices.

JCN