By Adekunle Yusuf
After a fierce contest, winners have emerged in a cooking competition organised by the West African Seasoning Company Limited (WASCO), makers of Ajinomoto, a seasoning ingredient, for members of Home Economics Teachers Association of Nigeria (HETAN), Lagos State chapter.
According to the management of WASCO, the cooking competition was put together to promote ideas and practices that impact and strengthen the well-being of individuals and families.
The cooking competition, which had four female and two male contestants representing the six districts of HETAN in Lagos, saw the participant from district three, Adeyemo Ademola, emerge a winner.
His three-course meal of Ogbonor soup, oatmeal, banana pudding, and zobo drink was adjudged the best.
Ezekiel Ogundele of district six came second while Ibojo Mercy Bukola of district five came third.
The winners smiled home with various prizes while consolation prizes were given to other contestants, including audience members who participated actively.
Active audience members went home with various gift items, including Ajinomoto and other food seasonings produced by the Japanese company.
Adeyemo, who could not hide his joy, commended WASCO’s management for enhancing their culinary knowledge through its cooking products, adding that “Ajinomoto is the best seasoning that every home all over the world should use because it truly brings out the deliciousness in food.”
Ogundele, the first runner-up, said the seasoning product is the secret of his culinary success.
“I am a caterer and I use Ajinomoto for my cooking and my customers love the taste of my food. It is important to know the right quantity to use for each meal and since I have been using it, I have never heard any complaint from my customers,” he said.
While congratulating the winners and other contestants during the event in Lagos, WASCO’s Head of Marketing, Isah Hassan Shallangwa, said building capacity on nutrition is a tool to enhance human well-being and all aspects of family life.
He added that contrary to unfounded fears about using seasonings in foods, research findings around the world have dispelled doubts about the health implications of consuming Ajinomoto.\
One major benefit of using Ajinomoto is that it helps in reducing salt intake without compromising food taste, Shallangwa said. “The benefits of the seasoning include enhancing and promoting the deliciousness of our meals; it reduces salt intake and it is rich in glutamate one of the free amino acids. Almost all seasoning contains MSG,” he said.
HETAN Lagos chapter President, Mrs. Olorunfunmi Janet Olabisi, noted members “are particularly delighted with the added knowledge that Ajinomoto helps with a salt reduction in our food without any loss to the deliciousness.
“Now that WASCO has demonstrated this in the cooking competition, we are happy. It is now our duty to take this information to our students and the general public.”
Also commending HETAN members for their commitment to individual and family well-being and progress, WASCO Corporate Communication Manager, Mrs. Francisca Ikediashi, urged home economics teachers to continue to dispel any myth or misconception about Ajinomoto.
She reiterated that WASCO is committed to working with HETAN towards achieving human well-being through the promotion of ideas and practices that bring about good nutrition.
