FamilyMart

Our Responsibilities to Provide Safe and Reliable Products / Services

Basic Approach

Amid growing interest in food safety and security, Japan revised its Food Sanitation Act in June 2018, requiring all food management operators to carry out food hygiene management according to HACCP principles in the interests of food safety and growing globalization. In addition, businesses that handle a wide range of products also have a responsibility to properly and clearly display information for customers that explains the contents and handling of products and services.

When launching the Famimaru brand, we established a brand strategy group within its Merchandising Division and reorganized the rules for how to communicate product features to customers.

FamilyMart is also committed to thorough quality control throughout the entire supply chain, placing utmost priority on providing safe and secure products. For ready-to-eat products, FamilyMart has its own quality control standards and works to enhance quality control and ensure traceability in all processes. In addition to properly labeling product and service information in accordance with relevant laws and regulations, FamilyMart also engages in consumer education activities and responsible marketing.

We will continue to strengthen communication with our raw material suppliers, ready-to-eat meal product suppliers and logistics contractors, while also ensuring thorough food hygiene management at our stores.

Initiatives for Safety and Reliability throughout Supply Chains

For its supply chain, FamilyMart has established the sustainable procurement principles, which call for conservation of biodiversity and natural resources, compliance with laws and social norms, respect for human rights, prohibition of discrimination, and protection of labor, health and safety. We have also established Sustainability Action Guidelines for Supply Chain. By implementing these as a unified policy for all our business partners, we are working to reduce risks and give consideration to the impacts on society and the environment.

Overview of the supply chains

Raw Material Management

Quality Control System for Ingredients

The raw materials used in FamilyMart ready-to-eat products have already passed screening before they are supplied to the companies that manufacture them for us. Each time one of our ready-to-eat product suppliers receive a shipment of raw materials, they conduct an acceptance inspection.

Inspections of factories that supply raw material are done by Japan Food Supply, a group company of ITOCHU Corporation, and only raw materials from factories that pass the examination are used.

In product development and improvement as well, we assess ingredients based on quality and hygiene control standards and conduct factory audits for some 60 items that are largely focused on quality and hygiene control, including waste and wastewater conditions. We only provide ingredients meeting these standards to ready-to-eat product suppliers.

In addition, we use vegetables from vegetable plant factories, which are free from pesticides and harmful bacteria and insects. Since vegetable plant factories can provide a stable supply regardless of weather conditions, we promote procurement from them.

Raw material quality control system

Sustainable Procurement Principles

FamilyMart recognizes its social responsibility to work toward the realization of a sustainable society, including the preservation of the global environment and protection of human rights, in its business activities.

To this end, we promote business activities based on the spirit of mutual development (CO-GROWING) in accordance with fair rules with producers and business partners, and work on the following items while achieving sustainable growth together.

 

  1. We will give consideration to the conservation of biodiversity and eliminate illegal trade, extraction, and fishing of natural resources.
  2. We will protect natural resources that are in danger of depletion, and seek to reuse renewable resources.
  3. We will establish traceability of agricultural, livestock, and fishery products with the safety, security, and health of our customers as our top priority, and strive to disclose information in a manner that is easily understood by our customers.
  4. We aim to create a sustainable society with producers and business partners who comply with laws, regulations, and social norms, and who fulfill their social responsibilities in the areas of human rights, labor, health and safety, and global environmental conservation.

Established February 2018

Sustainability Action Guidelines for Supply Chain

  1. Compliance with laws and regulations
    We will comply with international norms as well as the laws and norms of the countries and regions in which we operate, and conduct our business activities with integrity.
  2. Human rights
    We respect people and their rights regardless of race, color, nationality, language, religion, ideology, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, property, employment status, etc., and will not be complicit in human rights abuses.
    We shall also give due consideration to the health and safety of our employees, realize a comfortable working environment, and not be complicit in discrimination, inhumane treatment, forced labor, etc. in employment.
  3. Fair business dealings
    We will conduct business transactions under appropriate conditions in accordance with sound business practices and will work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.
  4. Environment
    We will strive to give due consideration to the global environment, nature, and biodiversity, prevent environmental pollution, and promote measures to counter global warming, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy use. We will also work to create a recycling-oriented society through waste reduction, proper disposal and recycling, and reduction and streamlining of resource use.
  5. Quality and safety
    We will provide products and services that are safe, secure, and healthy for our customers, and in the event of an accident or defective products, we will promptly disclose information and notify the competent authorities.
  6. Coexistence with local communities
    Contribute to the betterment of local communities through involvement in activities that lead to the development of local communities and consideration of the environmental impact of the area around our business sites or factories.
  7. Supply chain system development
    In addition to complying with social norms, we will build a sustainability promotion system and internal controls in response to social demands, and strive to develop a risk management system. In addition, we will strive to disseminate sustainability in our own supply chain.

Established February 2018
Revised June 2023

Manufacture and Quality Control

Thorough Quality and Hygiene Control at Production Sites for Ready-to-Eat Products

FamilyMart’s ready-to-eat products are made at about 80 production plants. All our suppliers affiliated with the Nippon Fresh Foods Cooperative Association (NFF) have in place a HACCP-based hygiene management system such as Japan Food Safety Management Association certification according to JFS-B standards, or higher. In addition, our Quality Control Department performs plant inspections on all applicable plants.

Plant inspections primarily check quality and hygiene control. To survey quality control and encourage improvement, third-party audits are also conducted twice a year.

If plant inspection reveals non-conformance with standards or other problems, plants are required to make improvements and take corrective measures.

Weekly meetings are also held to ensure product quality. Here we confirm new products and conduct spot-checks of products already at stores.

Quality control system

Factory checklist

Factory checklist

Logistics Management

Logistics Safety and Reliability

Logistics centers practice comprehensive temperature control by separating food ingredients and products into temperature zones such as fixed temperature, chilled, room temperature and frozen.

In addition, a logistics management company regularly inspects our centers to ensure safety management and develop and operate a logistics network in preparation for earthquakes and other disasters.

Main Initiatives

  • Safety management of distribution center facilities
  • Implementation of storage and delivery by three temperature zones (fixed-temperature, chilled/ room temperature/ frozen)

Temperature control at a fixed-temperature centers

Temperature control at a fixed-temperature centers

Always Delivering Fresh Products with Efficient Delivery

Lunch boxes and chilled products are delivered to stores three times a day in order to ensure freshness at all times. Delivery vehicles have two compartments, one kept at a fixed temperature and the other at a chilled temperature. There are also freezer vehicles and normal temperature delivery vehicles. This allows us to offer speedy and efficient delivery while maintaining quality.

A delivery truck with dual compartments for fixed-temperature food products and chilled food products

A delivery truck with dual compartments for fixed-temperature food products and chilled food products

Store Management

Thorough Training for Store Staff

Our stores have always been committed to providing delicious, safe, and reliable quality products, and store staff are instructed on matters of quality control and food hygiene, including practicing frequent hand washing and cleaning to prevent food poisoning, as well as temperature control for display fixtures and other items to maintain freshness.

Particularly in the case of ready-to-eat products, we check the sell-by date four times a day.

To comply with hygiene management in line with the HACCP mandate, FamilyMart stores use the Japan Franchise Association’s guidebook for planning hygiene control for basic cooking at convenience stores. Through operations in line with these guidelines, we are practicing efficient, consistent food safety measures in line with the characteristics of convenience stores.

Main Initiatives

  • Hygiene management training for store staff
  • Continuation of HACCP compliance
  • Preparing foods in line with the manual
  • Keeping hygiene records

Store Staff

Ensuring Appropriate Product Labeling

Just like quality control, proper product labeling and promotional labeling are important for marketing in order to provide safe and secure products and services. As a retailer, FamilyMart conducts regular in-house education (e-learning) on labeling for the relevant departments to ensure we are thoroughly compliant with the Food Labeling Act and other related laws and regulations that govern manufacturers and processors of food products.

A primary check is carried out by the Merchandising Development Department to prevent product labeling that could mislead consumers or violate registered trademarks or laws and regulations such as the Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations. Additionally, the Legal Department and the Quality Control Department also conduct secondary checks for the same reasons. In this way, we strengthen our in-house monitoring system.

We have also included a guidance page in the store operation manual on the creation of in-store promotional materials and educate store staff in order to avoid misunderstandings or displayed content that conflicts with laws and regulations. In order to accommodate foreign visitors to Japan, we also promote product labeling in accordance with the Guide to Multilingual Support for Retailers from the JAPAN RETAILERS ASSOCIATION, of which we are a member.

Example of product labeling for Famimaru brand products

Example of product labeling for Famimaru brand products

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