Human Rights Education and Training

We engage in education and training activities related to respect for human rights and prohibition of discrimination, prohibition of forced and child labor, prohibition of harassment, safe and healthy workplaces, respect for fundamental rights of employees, and more, based on the Meiji Group Policy on Human Rights.

Approach

In-company Training

In Japan, we provide internal training related to general sustainability principles and human rights for new employees and those employees promoted to management positions in Meiji HD, Meiji, and Meiji Seika Pharma and employees of domestic group companies. Training is based on the Meiji Group Policy on Human Rights. We also conduct internal human rights training at overseas group companies.

Evidence

Human Rights Management System

The Meiji Group Human Rights Meeting

In FY2019, the Meiji Group launched an inter-organizational Group Human Rights Meeting to address a broad range of human rights issues concerning the overall Group. The meeting reviews issues prioritized in the risk assessment of each business and weighs specific preventive measures and mitigation strategies. Having regular meetings will raise awareness of human rights throughout the Group. We will also have a system in place to address various issues domestically and abroad.

Implementing Human Rights Due Diligence

The Meiji Group has adopted the United Nations Global Compact. We have also implemented human rights initiatives based on the Meiji Group Policy on Human Rights and encourage our employees and supply chain to follow suit. Before implementing the human rights due diligence, we finished identifying and assessing risks at each stage of the value chain for both the Food and Pharmaceutical segments as part of an ongoing risk management process in FY2018.

Evidence

Our human rights due diligence begin with measures related to the procurement of main raw materials:

• Cocoa
• Palm oil
• Paper raw materials
• Raw milk

• Policies

Improve Communications with Stakeholders

We take every opportunity and use every means to engage in communications with important Meiji Group stakeholders (our customers, employees, business partners, shareholders and investors, global environment, society). In this way, we answer the expectations of our stakeholders and fulfill our social responsibilities.

Approach

Communicate with Shareholders and Investors

We hold briefing meetings, IR events, and publish an informative IR website to keep our shareholders and investors up to date on the direction and strategies of the Meiji Group.

• IR Activities

External Dialogues

We hold dialogues without outside experts, reflecting their opinions and recommendations in our vision, upcoming fiscal year plans, and business tactics.

Environmental Communication

Each plant and research laboratory conducts reporting seminars and study groups to highlight our environmental initiatives for local citizens, local governments, elementary schools, and middle schools. In addition to covering our initiatives for water and air pollution and CO₂ reduction, we also listen to feedback to incorporate into future activities.

Participation in Trade and Environmental Organizations

Meiji Group Participation in Industry Group Environmental Committees

Communicate with Our Customers

Food Segment

Our Customer Service Center strives to ensure customer trust and satisfaction through prompt, honest, fair, and appropriate service. The center receives a wide range of inquiries regarding products and services. We use this customer feedback to develop new, and improve existing, products and services.

Approach

Customer Service Center

Our Customer Service Center uses a proprietary system to record and analyze customer feedback. The center strives to respond politely and provide useful information to allow customers ease of mind in using our products. The center also shares information with related departments to develop and improve products and services for greater customer satisfaction.

Evidence

Inquiries to the Customer Service Center by Subject (FYE March 2019)

Topic

Reflecting Customer Feedback to Improve Products
<Products>Frozen Food, Meiji Pizza & Pizza (2PC)
<Customer Feedback> Exterior back label (how to consume) is confusing.

• Label on the back says remove the frozen "pizza" from the interior bag. However, the interior bag is clear; I almost put it in my microwave.
• Caution! label text is all in red, making it difficult to read. Hard to see which point is the real point of caution.

<After Improvement>

• Modified explanation. Changed "interior bag" to "interior clear bag." Changed pull-out text next to the picture of the microwave to say, "remove from clear bag; do not wrap in plastic" (vs. "do not wrap in plastic" before change).
• Caution! label now in black text, using red text for important points only.

<Exterior back (top)>

Counseling Office for New Mothers

Meiji's Counseling Office for New Mothers was established approximately 40 years ago. Managerial dieticians and dieticians at our counseling office offer valuable advice for new mothers, family members, and other persons engaged in childcare.

Evidence

Breakdown of Inquiries to the Counseling Office for New Mothers by Subject (FYE March 2019)

Adequate Labeling is for Customers Simple to Understand

The Meiji Group abides by the regulation and label products which is for customers simple to understand. The Meiji Group confirms the label on products adequate.

Pharmaceuticals Segment

Drug Information Center

We have developed a system to make best use of customer feedback in the Drug Information Center. We provide attentive and high-quality responses to healthcare professionals, patients, their families, and caregivers.

System for using customer feed back

Evidence

Breakdown of Prescription Pharmaceutical Inquiries by Subject (FYE March 2019)

■Meiji Seika Pharma Co., Ltd

■KM Biologics Co., Ltd

Topic

Improved aluminum sheet used for packing inhalation capsules
We incorporated patient feedback, changing the specification for cutting V-notches in the aluminum sheet to improve usability.
We develop new products to ensure greater levels of customer satisfaction.

Initiatives for Appropriate Information Disclosure

The Meiji Group complies with laws and corporate ethics in advertising and promotion activities, providing information based on fairly stated content and phrasing to prevent falsehoods or exaggerations. We conduct activities report based on our Pledge to be a customer-oriented company.

Promote Social Contribution

As a member of society, the Meiji Group incorporates a variety of sustainability initiatives in our corporate behavior charter. We contribute to society by developing special infant formulas and drugs for rare diseases, as well as providing support for areas struck by disasters.

Approach

Social Contribution Activities in each Country, Region, Business Location

Participation in Local Cleanup Activities and Events
We are aware of our responsibilities as a good corporate citizen. Therefore, we regularly clean up and maintain the areas surrounding our facilities. Also, we actively participate in municipal authority activities and events aimed at beautifying local environments.

Topic

Shareholder Benefits

We offers a gift selection option for shareholder benefits. Shareholders have the option of donating an equivalent value of shareholder benefits to a charity organization, and the company matches this gift. In FYE March/2018, we donated a total of 12.04 million yen in chocolate, biscuits, and other items to 250 organizations (charities for Kumamoto Earthquake and Great East Japan Earthquake survivors, disabled children, etc.) through the Japan NPO Center.

Support for Disaster Areas, Developing Countries

We work in cooperation with NPO entities to provide support for recovery in the aftermath of the Great East Japan and Kumamoto Earthquakes.

Evidence

Disaster Area Support

The northeastern part of Japan was hit by a devastating earthquake on March 11, 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake. In southern Japan, a strong earthquake centered in Kumamoto Prefecture in Kyushu occurred in the evening of April 14, 2016, followed by a second even stronger earthquake in the early morning of April 16, 2016. The Meiji Group gives donations, infant formula, confectioneries, and other items to those in disaster areas. Other support activities include holding such events as nutritional seminars to maintain the health of evacuees.
The Meiji Group participates in the support projects of the Reconstruction Agency. To support the restoration of the disaster areas of the Kumamoto Earthquake and the Great East Japan Earthquake, group companies held a market in the Meiji Group's head office building in January 2018. A total of 310 employees took part in the market in 2018.Volunteers cut grass around temporary houses and moved household valuables to safety near Mashiki, Kumamoto. Volunteers helped prepare and clean up after a memorial event in Morioka, Iwate. We provided nutrition education to a total of 162 citizens in devastated areas in seven different seminars during the year.

Social Contributions Through our Products

We contribute to Society through development and manufacture of rare diseases drugs, and manufacture and stable supply of special infant formula.

Topic

Rare Diseases Drug for Dravet's Syndrome Treatment, DIACOMIT®

Dravet's syndrome is an intractable form of epilepsy occurring in infancy. The disease develops in one infant in every 40,000. The syndrome is a severe disease that has a major impact on patients and their families because it causes seizures, delays physical and mental development, and has a high mortality rate.
As there was no effective drug for Dravet's syndrome treatment available, We launched DIACOMIT® Dry Syrup (oral suspension) and DIACOMIT® Capsule in 2012. We make efforts to provide accurate and timely information on the effectiveness and safety of this drug to healthcare professionals for the correct dosage to patients. Patients, their families, healthcare practitioners, and the government have high expectations for DIACOMIT®, and they regularly express their gratitude to us for the drug.

Voices

Meiji Group's contribution for children with intractable diseases

A drug for the rare disease Dravet's syndrome, DIACOMIT has been prescribed to approximately 500 children since launch in 2012.
Covering all cases, we have collected high-quality post-marketing surveillance, a rarity for many drugs.
Enlightenment tools have been developed to enable information provision that benefits illness understanding and treatment. Recently, I have the impression that it has become less difficult to manage the severe seizures associated with this illness, which may be attributable to the popularity of DIACOMIT.
Special formulas are vital to the lives of children with intractable diseases. We are grateful that the company is responded to social needs by continuing to offer these products.

Raising Awareness of Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) LASERPHYRIN® for Injection

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a topical treatment that entails the injection of a photosensitizing agent and the use of low-power laser light to irradiate lesions. The photosensitizing agent has a high affinity with tumors, and the laser light causes tumor tissue degeneration or necrosis. PDT is a treatment method that does not affect normal tissue and mitigates the physical impact on patients. We promote the combination of PDT LASERPHYRIN® for Injection and laser equipment for PD laser and PD laser BT.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) LASERPHYRIN® for Injection was approved for indications of early lung cancer and malignant brain tumor treatment. This treatment was approved for indications of recurrent/residual esophageal cancer in 2015. Prior to this, there was no established standard therapy, and prognoses for this recurrent/residual esophageal cancer were not encouraging. We will continue to contribute to the field of medicine, promoting PDT and providing a stable supply of the drug and laser equipment.

Special Infant Formula Helps Save Babies' Lives

We manufacture and sell special infant formulas for babies with a variety of metabolic disorders. Often, babies are born with congenital metabolism disorders (also known as inborn metabolism errors). These babies require special nutritional management using special formulas suited to their particular disorder. We are committed to the production and supply of these special formulas. We manufacture and supply 20 types of special formula for a variety of metabolic disorders. These products include officially registered formulas, as well as formulas designed for treatment of non-congenital metabolic disorders.

As a leading manufacturer of infant formulas, it is our responsibility to ensure the healthy development of babies. We will continue to utilize the technologies and expertise amassed through creation of our products to better fulfill this mission.

Infant Formulas for National Council of Homes for Infants

As a leading company in infant formulas, we wanted to help promote healthy growth of infants and toddlers, and therefore we started donating Meiji Hohoemi in June 2019 to infant homes and orphanages nationwide through the National Council of Homes for Infants. We donated Meiji Hohoemi.

Donation

We want our business activities to benefit society. Every year, we donate a portion of our Meiji Milk Chocolate sales during January and February to a program that improves child refugee nutrition through the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Between 2009 and 2018, we donated approximately ¥67.3 million from sales.
We also support the activities of Japan Hospital Clowns Association, a nonprofit organization. This organization brings smiles to children fighting diseases, children's families, and others involved in the children's lives.

Donating to the Children's Future Support Fund

Poverty in children is a major social issue and it is said that 1 in 7 children under 17 years old lives in poverty (according to the Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions conducted in 2016 by Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare). The Cabinet Office earmarked measures against child poverty as a future investment. The office is collecting donations from companies and individuals and other resources under the Children's Future Support Fund and is also managing the Future Support Network Project to support groups and organizations nationwide that help provide academic support and food for children. The Meiji Group has pledged its support to this cause since 2017 and donates every year to the Children's Future Support Fund.