Ajinomoto Group
SASB Reference Table
Published: September 2024
The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) is an independent, standards-setting organization that promotes disclosure of material sustainability information to meet investor needs. The table below references the Standard for the Processed Foods industry as defined by SASB’s Sustainable Industry Classification System (SICS) and identifies where the Ajinomoto Group addresses each topic.
Energy Management
| FB-PF-130a.1 | Accounting Metric | |
|---|---|---|
| (1) Total energy consumed, (2) percentage grid electricity, (3) percentage renewable | ||
| Location | ||
| (1) (2) | ||
| SR：Environmental management > Material balance > INPUTS > Fuel / Purchased electricity / Purchased steam, etc. | P51 | |
| (3) | ||
| SR：Environmental management > Material balance > INPUTS > Purchased electricity (derived from renewable energy) | P51 | |
| SR：Environmental Data > Energy input / Consumption of consumed energy | Piv | |
| Notes | ||
| Total energy consumed is disclosed in TJ. | ||
Water Management
| FB-PF-140a.1 | Accounting Metric | |
|---|---|---|
| (1) Total water withdrawn, (2) total water consumed, percentage of each in regions with High or Extremely High Baseline Water Stress | ||
| Location | ||
| (1) | ||
| SR：Environmental management > Material balance > INPUTS > Water | P51 | |
| SR：Conservation of water resources in production processes > Water use/intensity > Total water withdrawal | P92 | |
| (2) | ||
| SR：Conservation of water resources in production processes > Performance | P91 | |
| SR：Conservation of water resources in production processes > Water use/intensity > Total water consumption | P92 | |
| SR：Conservation of water resources in production processes > Water use/intensity in regions with high water stress (Peru) | P93 | |
| SR：Environmental Data > Conservation of water resources > Water use/intensity > Total water withdrawal / Total water consumption | Piv | |
| CDP Water Security | - | |
| FB-PF-140a.2 | Accounting Metric | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of incidents of non-compliance associated with water quantity and/or quality permits, standards, and regulations | ||
| Location | ||
| SR：Environmental management > Response to environmental laws and accidents | P50-51 | |
| FB-PF-140a.3 | Accounting Metric | |
|---|---|---|
| Description of water management risks and discussion of strategies and practices to mitigate those risks | ||
| Location | ||
| SR：Key initiatives and progress > Responding to climate change > Reduction rate of water consumption per production volume unit (vs. FY2005) | P30 | |
| SR：Environmental management | P49-52 | |
| SR：Consideration of natural capital risks and opportunities > Examining risks and opportunities in line with the LEAP approach | P83-85 | |
| SR：Conservation of water resources in production processes | P91-93 | |
Food Safety
| FB-PF-250a.1 | Accounting Metric | |
|---|---|---|
| Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) audit (1) non-conformance rate and (2) associated corrective action rate for (a) major and (b) minor non-conformances | ||
| Location | ||
| N/A | - | |
| Notes | ||
| The Ajinomoto Group encourages Group companies to acquire and maintain ISO 9001 certification. As of March 2023, 62 of 74 eligible Group companies have acquired ISO 9001 certification. In response to customer requests or other cases, the Group acquires certification of other standards such as FSSC 22000 approved by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). | − | |
| FB-PF-250a.2 | Accounting Metric | |
|---|---|---|
| Percentage of ingredients sourced from Tier 1 supplier facilities certified to a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) recognized food safety certification program | ||
| Location | ||
| Not disclosed | − | |
| FB-PF-250a.3 | Accounting Metric | |
|---|---|---|
| (1) Total number of notices of food safety violation received, (2) percentage corrected | ||
| Location | ||
| No violation in FY2023 | − | |
| FB-PF-250a.4 | Accounting Metric | |
|---|---|---|
| (1) Number of recalls issued and (2) total amount of food product recalled | ||
| Location | ||
| SR：Quality management > Quality assurance across the supply chain > Production > Initiatives to reduce quality-related complaints and issues > Number of recalls and collections from distributors by the Ajinomoto Group | P127 | |
Health & Nutrition
| FB-PF-260a.1 | Accounting Metric | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue from products labeled and/or marketed to promote health and nutrition attributes | ||
| Location | ||
| SR：Key initiatives and progress > Nutrition Commitment > Percentage of products with improved nutritional value* * Products that meet the Ajinomoto Group criteria and that contribute to improving and enhancing the intake of important nutrients from an international public health perspective |
P29 | |
| FB-PF-260a.2 | Accounting Metric | |
|---|---|---|
| Discussion of the process to identify and manage products and ingredients related to nutritional and health concerns among consumers | ||
| Location | ||
| SR：Initiatives to solve nutritional issues | P35-42 | |
| SR：Addressing health issues | P45-47 | |
| SR：Quality management | P123-129 | |
| AR：Sustainability > A holistic approach to sustainability > 6. Nutrition Commitment | P89-91 | |
Product Labeling & Marketing
| FB-PF-270a.1 | Accounting Metric | |
|---|---|---|
| Percentage of advertising impressions (1) made on children and (2) made on children promoting products that meet dietary guidelines | ||
| Location | ||
| Not disclosed | − | |
| FB-PF-270a.2 | Accounting Metric | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue from products labeled as (1) containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and (2) non-GMO | ||
| Location | ||
| Not disclosed | − | |
| FB-PF-270a.3 | Accounting Metric | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of incidents of non-compliance with industry or regulatory labeling and/or marketing codes | ||
| Location | ||
| SR：Appropriate communications and information sharing > Incidents of non-compliance | P122 | |
| No incidents in FY2023 | ||
| FB-PF-270a.4 | Accounting Metric | |
|---|---|---|
| Total amount of monetary losses as a result of legal proceedings associated with labeling and/or marketing practices | ||
| Location | ||
| Not disclosed | - | |
Packaging Lifecycle Management
| FB-PF-410a.1 | Accounting Metric | |
|---|---|---|
| (1) Total weight of packaging, (2) percentage made from recycled and/or renewable materials, and (3) percentage that is recyclable, reusable, and/or compostable | ||
| Location | ||
| (1) | ||
| SR：Environmental management > Material balance > INPUTS > Packaging material | P51 | |
| (2) | ||
| SR：Initiatives related to priority raw materials > Sustainable procurement of paper | P88 | |
| (3) | ||
| SR：Key initiatives and progress > Realization of a circular society > Percentage of recyclable plastic | P30 | |
| SR：Reduction of waste across product lifecycles > Reducing plastic waste > Goals for fiscal 2030 > Performance | P71 | |
| SR：Reduction of waste across product lifecycles > The recycling of containers and packaging waste in Japan > Use of containers and packaging and recycling implementation fee payments for household products for Ajinomoto Co., Inc., Ajinomoto Frozen Foods Co., Inc., and Ajinomoto AGF, Inc. | P73 | |
| SR：Environmental Data >3Rs of waste > Volume of waste and by-products and resource recovery ratio | Pv | |
| FB-PF-410a.2 | Accounting Metric | |
|---|---|---|
| Discussion of strategies to reduce the environmental impact of packaging throughout its lifecycle | ||
| Location | ||
| SR：Key initiatives and progress > Realization of a circular society | P30 | |
| SR：Reduction of waste across product lifecycles | P67-75 | |
Environmental & Social Impacts of Ingredient Supply Chain
| FB-PF-430a.1 | Accounting Metric | |
|---|---|---|
| Percentage of food ingredients sourced that are certified to third-party environmental and/or social standards, and percentages by standard | ||
| Location | ||
| SR：Key initiatives and progress > Achieving sustainable procurement > Sustainable procurement ratio | P30 | |
| SR：Initiatives related to priority raw materials | P86-89 | |
| RSPO Annual Communication of Progress 2023 | − | |
| FB-PF-430a.2 | Accounting Metric | |
|---|---|---|
| Suppliers’ social and environmental responsibility audit (1) non-conformance rate and (2) associated corrective action rate for (a) major and (b) minor non-conformances | ||
| Location | ||
| Not disclosed | - | |
| Notes | ||
| The Ajinomoto Group audits suppliers in accordance with group policies and provides corrective guidance as needed. | - | |
Ingredient Sourcing
| FB-PF-440a.1 | Accounting Metric | |
|---|---|---|
| Percentage of food ingredients sourced from regions with High or Extremely High Baseline Water Stress | ||
| Location | ||
| CDP Water Security | P20 | |
| Notes | ||
| Maize starch: 0% | - | |
| FB-PF-440a.2 | Accounting Metric | |
|---|---|---|
| List of priority food ingredients and discussion of sourcing risks due to environmental and social considerations | ||
| Location | ||
| SR：Initiatives related to priority raw materials | P86-89 | |
| SR：Responsible supply chain management | P117-119 | |
| FB-PF-000.A | We do not publicly provide this proprietary information. Ref. The production volume in fiscal 2023 was 2,265 kilotons. |
- |
|---|---|---|
| FB-PF-000.B | AR：Performance and corporate information > Global network | P122-123 |