QUEZON CITY, Philippines — Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation (APC) and the Scholars of Sustenance Philippines (SOS), an environmental organization that focuses on addressing food waste, have teamed up for the Rescue Kitchen Program, a sustainability-driven initiative that turns surplus food into nutritious meals for communities in need.
The Rescue Kitchen is an existing program of SOS Philippines, supported by APC, born out of the two organizations’ shared vision to reduce food loss while providing immediate nutritional support to vulnerable sectors. The program gives APC’s good-quality surplus products a second life, transforming them into nutritious, hearty meals prepared and distributed to beneficiaries by APC employee volunteers.
This follows the AJICO Food Waste Utilization Hierarchy, which prioritizes methods for managing food waste. It begins with source reduction, focusing on minimizing food waste at its origin. Surplus food is then redirected to feed hungry people or repurposed as animal feed. Remaining waste unsuitable for consumption is used for industrial purposes, such as biofuel production. The least preferred method is landfill disposal, done only when all other possibilities have been exhausted.
The Rescue Kitchen Program entails donation and volunteerism components. In October 2024, APC began donating surplus products but still in very good quality and suitable for human consumption. Also, five (5) sessions of employee-volunteer activities have been completed, engaging more than 80 employees and benefiting 4 communities from marginalized sectors around the Metro area.
The Rescue Kitchen Program aligns squarely with the Ajinomoto Group’s ASV (Ajinomoto Creating Shared Value) principles by showcasing APC’s commitment to zero waste practices and healthful nutrition while sharing the value of rescued food to those who are most vulnerable in our society. Meals are carefully planned using APC’s nutrition expertise to ensure they are balanced, satisfying, and culturally relevant.
“At Ajinomoto Philippines, we believe food has the power to bring comfort, connection, and hope,” said APC President Koichi Ozaki. “Rescue Kitchen reflects our Nutrition Commitment and our pledge to minimize food loss by giving new purpose to what would otherwise be wasted—ensuring that every meal we serve carries the spirit of care and community. This is one of the many ways we carry out our ‘Eat Well, Live Well’ philosophy.”
According to SOS Philippines Country General Manager, Rachel Luna, “We are happy to partner with APC on this endeavor. Corporate support is crucial in fulfilling our mission because hunger and food waste are huge societal problems that truly call for collaborative action.”
Ajinomoto Philippines sees the Rescue Kitchen as a long-term initiative aligned with its 2030 sustainability roadmap, with plans to expand its reach across more communities in need. The partnership with SOS Philippines is just the beginning of a broader effort to transform how the food industry engages with social and environmental challenges.
