Society
Society-Oriented Goals
Meiji Group 2026 Medium-Term Management Plan
- Data target range or company leading initiatives: Meiji Group Consolidated
| Major initiatives | Metrics | Results / progress | Targets |
|---|---|---|---|
| FYE March 2025 | FYE March 2027 | ||
| Establish a responsible marketing communications policy and conduct employee education | Target year for policy establishment | Not yet established | During FYE March 2025 |
| Number of education sessions conducted to disseminate policy details | Once (Meiji Group Marketing Communication to Children Policy) | Once per year or more |
Stakeholder Engagement
Promote Stakeholder Engagement
We take every opportunity and use every means to engage in communications with important Meiji Group stakeholders (“our customers,” “shareholders and investors,” “company employees,” “business partners,” “local communities, nature and future generations” and “government agencies , NPO/NGO and organizations”). In this way, we answer the expectations of our stakeholders and fulfill our social responsibilities.
Employee Engagement
To achieve the Meiji Group 2026 Vision and be a company that can grow sustainably, we believe improving employee engagement is essential. Therefore, we regularly conduct the “Employee Opinion Survey.”
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.
Since FY2019 we have held a ESG meeting for investors on an annual basis.
Dialogues with External Experts
ESG Advisory Board meetings are held twice a year. At meetings of this organization, we will receive advice from external experts on the Meiji Group's initiatives and facilitate an exchange of opinions with the CEO, CSO, and other internal Meiji team members to further strengthen our sustainability activities.
Establishment of the ESG Advisory Board
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.
Providing Factory Tours for Stakeholders
Factory Tours in Japan
Meiji provides tours of seven of its production plants in Japan, allowing visitors to see up close how the company produces delicious and healthy food products based on strict quality control standards. Approximately 175,000 people attended in FY2024.
Factory Tours in China
In China, we offer factory tours at three factories: Meiji Ice Cream (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd., Meiji Dairies (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., and Meiji Seika Food Industry (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
Plant Tours and educational visits for KM Biologics
KM Biologics offers tours of its influenza vaccine manufacturing plant for students. We also host educational visits where students can study basic knowledge of immunization and the importance of preventive measures against infectious diseases. We will contribute to improve knowledge and awareness of infectious diseases through plant tours and educational visits classes.
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.
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.
| Content of Inquiries | Number of Inquiries | Composition Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Product features | 23,178 | 33% |
| Stores that handle products | 15,135 | 22% |
| How to eat and store | 13,734 | 20% |
| Food labeling and package design | 4,915 | 7% |
| Foreign matter mixed in the product | 3,996 | 6% |
| Sales promotion/campaign | 3,650 | 5% |
| Others | 4,690 | 7% |
| Total | 69,298 | 100% |
Investigation of customer satisfaction
Meiji’s Customer Service Center carries out customer satisfaction surveys with the aim of improving the quality of customer support.
- FYE 3/2025 Target: 95 points (out of 100)
| FYE 3/2021 | FYE 3/2022 | FYE 3/2023 | FYE 3/2024 | FYE 3/2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customer satisfaction points | 92.2 | 91.0 | 92.2 | 93.1 | 91.4 |
Example of improvement in response to customer feedback
Improvement of individual packaging for Meltykiss Party Assortment.
The design of the individual packaging for Meltykiss Party Assortment was changed in response to feedback from customers with color vision deficiency who found it difficult to distinguish the colors of the individual packaging.
<Details of improvement>
The visibility of individual packaging was improved by including flavor-inspired illustrations that are easily recognizable as well as switching to color tones that are also easily perceived by those with color vision deficiency.
Counseling Office for New Mothers
At Meiji’s counseling office for mothers with infants, nutritionist and national registered dieticians provide consultation on nutrition and childcare for babies and mothers. Making use of an abundance of information and experience, the counseling office gives valuable advice to new mothers, family members, and other persons engaged in childcare.
| Content of Inquiries | Number of Inquiries | Composition Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Breast-feeding | 1,599 | 48% |
| Baby food | 1,193 | 36% |
| Menstruation and health | 282 | 8% |
| Growth and development | 121 | 4% |
| Lifestyle and habits | 77 | 2% |
| Mother and pregnant woman | 35 | 1% |
| Others | 25 | 1% |
| Total | 3,332 | 100% |
Pharmaceuticals Segment
Medicine Support Center
Meiji Seika Pharma’s Medicine Support Center uses a database to sort and analyze customer feedback. It takes customer feedback extremely seriously, and makes sure to share feedback with relevant departments to ensure better products.
| Content of Inquiries | Number of Inquiries | Composition Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Peripheral product information (packaging, expiration dates, insurance, etc.) | 4,066 | 18% |
| Document requests | 5,057 | 23% |
| Quality (quality, additives, stability, formulation changes, etc.) | 4,318 | 19% |
| Efficacy (efficacy, dosage and administration, pharmacology, etc.) | 3,842 | 17% |
| Safety (side effects, etc.) | 2,422 | 11% |
| Requests | 2,458 | 11% |
| Total | 22,163 | 100% |
| Content of Inquiries | Number of Inquiries | Composition Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Document requests | 260 | 41% |
| Peripheral product information (packaging, expiration dates, insurance, etc.) | 221 | 35% |
| Efficacy (efficacy, dosage and administration, pharmacology, etc.) | 87 | 14% |
| Quality (quality, additives, stability, formulation changes, etc.) | 32 | 5% |
| Safety (side effects, etc.) | 26 | 4% |
| Others | 4 | 1% |
| Requests | 5 | 1% |
| Total | 635 | 100% |
Measures to improve quality of customer support
With the aim of further improving customer satisfaction, Meiji Seika Pharma has undertaken an external evaluation of over-the-phone customer support at its Medicine Support Center.
We are aiming to promote appropriate usage of our pharmaceutical products by offering prompt and accurate information at all times. Through this we hope to contribute to even better medical care.
- Medicine Support Center quality target: 70 points
| FYE 3/2021 | FYE 3/2022 | FYE 3/2023 | FYE 3/2024 | FYE 3/2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| External evaluation score (out of 100 points) | 76.0 | 75.3 | 74.6 | 75.4 | 77.2 |
We launched an "expiration date search page" on our ethical pharmaceuticals website. (Meiji Seika Pharma)
Aiming to create a more user-friendly Q&A page for healthcare professionals, we launched an expiration date search page for ethical pharmaceuticals, a feature that had often been requested. To meet the needs of healthcare settings that operate 24 hours a day, we will continue striving to further enrich the search page.
Example of improvement in response to customer feedback (KM Biologics)
Discontinued shrink-wrapping of Byclot (dried activated human coagulation factor VII concentrate containing factor X)
(Customer feedback)
<Details of improvement>
We stopped shrink-wrapping the transfusion kits together with the pharmaceutical boxes.
Aiming to further improve customer satisfaction
Conducted by Nikkei Research Inc., we utilize the Brand Strategy Survey to understand the likelihood that consumers will recommend our brand. Our aim is to increase corporate value by creating customer loyalty for the Meiji Brand and maintaining and expanding our customer base over the long term. We share that information with related departments to develop and improve products for greater customer satisfaction.
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of current user respondents1 | 697 | 686 | 663 | 688 | 648 |
| Net promoter score (NPS)(%)2 | 51.9 | 50.9 | 48.4 | 46.7 | 47.7 |
Promote Social Contribution
Social Contribution Activities policy
In January 2021 the Meiji Group created the Meiji Group Social Contribution Activities Policy.
Our employees are helping to address various local issues, all the while contributing to sustainable development. It is our goal for each and every one of our employees to share a sense of participation in planning for society’s future.
Social Contribution Activities
Activities by Topic
Meiji Group is actively engaging in social contribution activities, based on our Social Contribution Activities Policy's three core concepts of "activities to nurture people", "activities to assist society", and "activities to continue the world to the future".
"Activities to nurture people": We pursue activities in nutrition, food culture and sports to support the healthy growth and intellectual development of the children and youth who will be leaders of the future.
"Activities to support society": We pursue activities needed to support the healthy and stable lives of people in local communities involved in our business activities.
"Activities to continue the world to the future": We engage in activities to preserve the natural environment, conserve biodiversity, and encourage recycling of resources, looking ahead to the sustainable development and future of earth. We also engage in activities that support research and development tied to the creation of new health value.
Click here for the data of Social Contribution Activities (to ESG data)
Activities to Nurture People
Kinoko and Takenoko Satoyama School
This nature experience program is held jointly with the Japan Environmental Education Forum.
Christmas Children’s Festiva
We sponsor the Christmas Children's Festival, which has been held by local newspapers as a Christmas gift for children since 1953.
Nutrition education activities
Our food education seminars at elementary and junior high schools began in 2005. These make use of both in-person guest teaching at schools, as well as online-lessons.
Activities to Support the Growth of Children
We implement projects with athletes to convey the importance of nutrition to parents and children.
Development of the Next Generation
We support the development of the next generation by holding junior golf tournaments, junior golf schools, junior challenge golf, and other events in support of sports juniors.
Activities to Support Society
The Meiji Happiness Fund
Established in March 2020, the Meiji Happiness Fund aims to raise awareness of sustainability, and instill a feeling of individual connection to social issues. The fund raises money twice annually through the generous, entirely voluntary participation of Meiji Group employees. In September 2024, over 2,300 people from all across the Meiji Group took part. With funds raised, we donated approximately 64,000 Meiji confectionery and food products to "Kodomo-Takushoku-Ouendan" (a confectionery and food delivery program for children and families in Japan) in December 2024. Through this program, we will provide support to families across Japan facing lifestyle difficulties.
Cooperation with the All-Japan Food Bank Promotion Council
With rising prices and utility costs, more families than ever are facing economic hardship. In response, the Meiji Group, working in cooperation with the National Food Bank Promotion Council, donates snacks and food items on Children's Day, during summer vacation, on Christmas, and on other occasions in the hope of bringing smiles to as many children and their families as possible. The donation in April 2025 marked our seventeenth donation, bringing the total number of donated confectionery and food products to about 960,000.
Specialized formula business
We manufacture and supply a total of 20 types of specialized formula for babies born with congenital metabolism disorders that prevent them from drinking their mother’s milk, or regular commercial powdered milk. These include registered special milk, which is officially registered with the Japan Cooperative Project on Special Formula and subsidized by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, as well as other special formulas (non-registered, yet subsidized) designed for treatment of non-congenital metabolic disorders. We focus at all times on safe production and distribution.
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.
Wellness Stories: Hope for Patients with Dravet Syndrome
Donations to the Japan Hospital Clowns Association, a Non-Profit Organization
We donate a set amount per year to the Japan Hospital Clowns Association to support activities in which clowns bring smiles to children fighting illness in pediatric hospital wards.
Donations to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
We have donated a portion of the sales of Meiji Milk Chocolate to the Japan Association for UNHCR from 2009 to 2022, and a set amount per year from 2023 onward, to support the activities of the UNHCR, the UN's agency for assisting refugees. (Total amount: 76,117,119 yen as of March 31, 2025). The funds are used for aid programs in emergency situations in various regions and other aid destinations deemed most urgent by the UNHCR’s headquarters.
Sponsorship of a Social Media Campaign Organized by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)
We have been a special sponsor of the United Nations World Food Programme's "Zero Hunger Challenge" campaign since 2020. The campaign encourages interest in the two food issues of food loss and hunger. It connects efforts to reduce food loss within Japan with food aid such as school lunches for children in developing nations.
Donation of Infant Formula to the National Council of Homes for Infants
In June 2019, we began donating Meiji Hohoemi to infant care centers nationwide through the National Council of Homes for Infants with the hope of helping infants grow up healthy, even if only in a small way.
| Donated item | Number |
|---|---|
| Meiji Hohoemi | 3,987 |
| Meiji Step | 1,088 |
| Meiji Hohoemi Rakuraku Milk | 71,232 |
Meiji Hohoemi
Meiji Step
Meiji Hohoemi Rakuraku Milk
Children's Future Support Fund
We have been donating to the Children's Future Support Fund since 2017 in support of the efforts of the Children and Families Agency and other organizations to combat child poverty.
Sukoyaka Dietary Life Association
We have been a supporting member of the Sukoyaka Dietary Life Association since 2013 in support of its activities to improve the dietary habits of the visually impaired by creating recipe books using Braille and developing recipes with audio on its website.
Support of Para-Athletes
We believe that we can provide more support to para-athletes from the aspect of food, which is indispensable for their physical development, and that by supporting the success of para-athletes, we can further enhance the value of para-sports itself. With this belief in mind, Meiji Co., Ltd. concluded partnership agreements with Japan Para Athletics and the Japan Boccia Association, and is working toward the realization of a mutually supportive and symbiotic society.
Sponsorship of Paralym Art
ParalymArt is an activity conducted by Shougaisha Jiritsu Suishin Kikou Association to provide artworks by persons with disabilities to companies and individuals, and to pay compensation to the artists. Its main objective is to support people with disabilities who are unable to participate in society and are suffering financially through art. The organization promotes social participation and economic independence for people with disabilities without relying on social security funds. Meiji Holdings Co., Ltd. has been a sponsor of this activity since 2021.
Activities to Continue the World to the Future
Paper Drink Carton Recycling Campaign
Our employees take part in the Paper Drink Carton Recycling Campaign twice annually. Through this campaign we are aiming to foster greater environmental awareness among our employees.
Biodiversity Conservation Activities
We are working together with various local governments and NPOs to conserve biodiversity, both in Japan and overseas. Our areas of activity include Meiji Group production sites, as well as the Meiji Group-owned “Meiji Group Nature Conservation Area Kumamoto Sunlight Forest.”
