Product safety / Customer satisfaction
Product safety
Basic policy on product quality
In order to embody our corporate philosophy, the whole Yakult Group is working to ensure quality assurance based on the Yakult Group Basic Quality Policy that specifies the fundamental policies and promotion system related to quality and safety.
The Yakult Group contributes to the health and happiness of people around the world by offering safe and secure products and services with sincerity.
1. Scope
The Yakult Group works as one to ensure quality control and offers safe, secure, and quality products and reliable and satisfying services at all levels of research, development, procurement, production, logistics, public relations, advertising, and sales.
2. Compliance with laws, regulations, and international norms
In addition to compliance with laws, regulations, etc., of the countries and regions where it conducts business, the Yakult Group shall strive to respect cultures and customs and ensure high quality and safety.
The group has established a quality management system complying with global standards in production. It shall adhere to international norms regarding quality and safety and carry out responsible business activities.
3. Promotion structure
Based on the Yakult Group Basic Quality Policy (hereinafter referred to as the “Policy”), concerned departments of the Yakult Group shall conduct audits and other activities and committees including directors shall manage and supervise such activities.
If a quality-related emergency or an issue that may violate related laws, regulations or the Policy occurs, the group shall take swift and appropriate measures based on internal rules such as crisis management regulations.
4. Dialogue with stakeholders
The Yakult Group shall value communications with customers and other stakeholders and proactively offer appropriate information while aiming to improve quality and safety from the customers’ perspective.
Date: March 30, 2021
Product quality certifications
We are promoting the acquisition of HACCP, ISO 9001, FSSC 22000, Safe Quality Food (SQF) and other certifications for Yakult Honsha plants, bottling companies, marketing companies and Group companies outside Japan. The Zhongli Plant of Yakult Taiwan Co., Ltd. has acquired SQF level-3 certification, the highest level of the SQF program.
The Calamba Plant of Yakult Philippines, Inc. acquired HACCP certification in August 2019, bringing the total number of certified overseas plants to 21.
*1
In Japan, food hygiene control based on HACCP principles was instituted through the Act on the Partial Amendment of the Food Sanitation Act in 2018. In line with this, we acquired ISO 22000 certification at all 10 of our dairy product plants and bottling companies.
*2
Includes branches that have acquired the certification
*3
Acquisition rate at plants both in and outside Japan: 5.4%
●
HACCP: A system for assuring safety by implementing thorough hygiene management across the entire manufacturing process
●
ISO 9001: An international standard for quality management systems
●
ISO 22000: An international standard for food safety management systems based on HACCP hygiene management methods
●
FSSC 22000: An international standard for food safety management systems based on ISO 22000 that incorporates food defense and other matters
●
GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice): An international standard for pharmaceuticals and food manufacturing management and quality control
Note:
In Taiwan, the plant obtained TQF (Taiwan Quality Food) certification which is equivalent to GMP.
●
Halal: A standard for food quality management systems based on Islamic Law
●
ISO 45001: An international standard for occupational health and safety management systems
●
SQF: An international standard for management systems that ensure the safety and quality of food products
Status of certification (Listed for each company)
For details, see “Product safety” of the Sustainability Report
Customer satisfaction
Role and systems of the Customer Support Center
Day-to-day consultations with customers are vitally important activities that facilitate our efforts to ensure we can provide products and services that benefit our customers. We accept inquiries from customers by phone and email and do our best to respond promptly, accurately and sincerely.
One of the important roles of the Customer Support Center is to accurately grasp the meaning of customers’ inquiries, relay the comments to related organizational units and top management, and promote concrete measures to improve products and services. The Center strives to answer inquiries in a respectful, easy-to-understand manner in order to enhance customer satisfaction. For consultations that require direct customer visits, the Center works in coordination with marketing companies throughout Japan.
Expanding Yakult Delivery Net online ordering service
With a view to improving customer satisfaction as the e-commerce market continues to grow, Yakult launched the Yakult Delivery Net online ordering service in fiscal 2017 and expanded the service nationwide in September 2018. This service offers options for credit card payment and product delivery in a cold storage box, making it possible to deliver products in keeping with diverse consumer lifestyles. As of March 2022, the number of registered users increased 1.6-fold from the previous year to about 270,000, and we hope to expand the number of users to 390,000 by the end of fiscal 2022.
Note:
The registration of new users has been suspended due to the shortage of some products (as of August 2022).