Mitsui & Co. has identified "Secure sustainable supply of essential products" as one aspect of our materialities. We handle a wide range of products such as resources, materials, foods, pharmaceuticals, and products that are vital for the development of society. We have established our Consumer Product Handling Policy and Consumer Product Handling Regulations. Not only do we seek the manufacture, importation and sale of high-performance and/or low-cost products; we also carefully consider the consumer's position, prioritizing the handling of safe products that consumers can use with peace of mind.

We recognize that some of the foods, pharmaceuticals, and other products that we handle carry the risk of harming our customers' lives. For this reason, we have established our own management standards. We make sure that the safety standards set by each country for foods, pharmaceuticals, and other products we handle are maintained, as ensuring customer safety is essential.

The Consumer Product Handling Policy (PDF 87KB)

We are committed to carry out fair and responsible marketing and advertising, in full awareness of our social responsibilities, and in accordance with our Mission, Vision, Values, the Mitsui & Co. Group Conduct Guidelines –With Integrity, and the Business Conduct Guidelines for Employees and Officers. In addition, we always strive to listen to our stakeholders, to accept their views with humility, and to reflect them in an appropriate way in our business activities.

As for advertising and promotions, in consideration of the views of our various stakeholders, we make our best efforts to ensure accuracy and modesty without causing misunderstanding or discomfort, not to mention observing laws and regulations on relevant matters such as the Copyright Act and Trademark Act. When carrying out advertising and promotions, we implement proper risk management under our ringi (circular executive approval) deliberation system on advertising and marketing, which covers compliance risks, internal control risks, and reputation risks.

In marketing, we comply with the relevant laws and in-house regulations and in-house training, and we carry out responsible marketing activities using content and expressions that do not infringe on the trust or sense of honor of others and do not cause misunderstandings or discomfort.

In utilizing social media as a marketing tool, we have established Rules on Corporate Use of Social Media. These rules prohibit the posting of content that violates copyrights, portrait rights, and other laws and regulations such as those regarding the disclosure of financial information, slanderous comments based on race, religion, gender, social status, religion, nationality, age, or physical or mental disability, and content that is deemed misleading to consumers under the Act against Unjustifiable Premiums or Misleading Representations. We have also established an account operation manual that recommends multiple mutual employee checks on accounts, and regular checks by a third party to ensure that the content of our communications does not lack consideration for the fact that many people are viewing it, and that it does not constitute inappropriate behavior. We also work to ensure employee awareness of how to handle issues such as account hijacking or identity theft.

The Sustainability Committee works under the Executive Committee to plan, formulate and provide recommendations on basic management policies, business activities, and corporate policies and strategies related to our responsibilities to customers.
The Sustainability Committee is structured so that its activities are appropriately supervised by the Board of Directors, and matters discussed by the Sustainability Committee are regularly discussed and reported to the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors.

Please refer to the links below for more information on Mitsui's Sustainability Management Framework and the activities of the Sustainability Committee.

• Our Approach to Sustainability: Sustainability Governance and Oversight
• Our Approach to Sustainability: Sustainability Committee

For projects in which we invest that are considered to be highly relevant to our responsibility to our customers (food, pharmaceuticals, etc.), we carry out ESG risk assessments, formulate improvement plans when necessary, and conduct risk management.

ESG Risk Management

Our modern eating habits include cooking at home and the use of processed and prepared foods from around the world. Moreover, the routes and circumstances by which food reaches us have become more international and diverse. This requires us to ensure the safety and security of food both in Japan and overseas. In our Retail Business Unit, to further enhance our system to ensure food safety and security by preserving the quality of goods and services sold or provided on a group basis, we have each business unit and division appoint a quality assurance manager and set up a quality assurance governance system on a consolidated basis, seeking to strengthen cooperation within the Mitsui Group.

In our Food Business Unit and Retail Business Unit, we have set up a centralized contact point for information sharing and crisis management in the event of an emergency. In 2002 the Units set up the Food Safety Management Committee in 2002 with the objective of firstly, studying food safety-related laws and regulations and how related industries have responded; and secondly, formulating codes of conduct. The Committee is chaired by the General Manager of our Food Business Unit's MONOZUKURI Dept. and has one Food Safety Management Committee member from the Food Business Unit. In principle, Committee meetings are held monthly. The members share information about amendments to laws and any violations that have occurred. The Committee analyses the causes of violations and considers measures to prevent them from recurring. External experts are invited to attend Committee meetings and give advice relating to food safety. The Units has also set up a food safety database to enhance the level of self-management, and all imported foods are managed. The database is reviewed annually.

In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022, there were two violations related to pesticide residues, but no serious violations of the Food Sanitation Act.

Group Companies that Have Gained Product Safety Management Standards

Mitsui conducts risk management for food safety and security, promoting compliance with laws and regulations and encouraging proper labeling through its monthly Food Safety Seminar for employees of Mitsui and our affiliated companies. The seminar was launched in October 2002 and has been held a total of 231 times as of March 2023. The table below summarizes the content of the seminars that were held during the financial period ended March 2022, and the number of attendees to each. A cumulative total of 707 employees from our company and our affiliated companies attended the seminars over this period.

Food Safety Seminar (FY Mar/2023)

Please scroll horizontally to look at table below.

We export pharmaceutical products. We are also an importing agency and a domestic distributor. As such, we have prepared procedure manuals for pharmaceutical product handling — from order receipt to delivery to the customer — safely, reliably, and promptly. In addition, we have established business guidelines and business procedure manuals, to ensure the proper management of pharmaceutical products. We carry out regular self-inspections once a year to ensure that our business is carried out according to the procedure manuals, and we thoroughly comply with a range of commercial laws at our company-owned facilities and elsewhere.

At Mitsui, we have appointed a person to be in charge of education and training. We regularly give in-house training on important topics to staff involved in work relating to pharmaceutical products. These include the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Law (Act on Securing Quality, Efficacy and Safety of Products Including Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices) and related laws, the operation of Good Supplying Practice (GSP), information about the pharmaceutical products handled, business guidelines and business procedures established by the Company, and emergency situations that can arise in accidents and other necessary matters.

We are promoting and expanding our efforts to address our responsibilities to customers through participation in initiatives. Participation in each initiative is decided after confirming that it is consistent with our basic policy and initiatives for our responsibilities to customers.

In the area of distribution, we are working on supplying safe and secure processed food products in accordance with the guidelines and manuals set out by them. Japan Processed Foods Wholesalers Association.

The Japan Pharmaceutical Traders' Association Co., Ltd. is an incorporated association whose objective is to support its pharmaceutical-importing member businesses. The Association works to promote pharmaceutical trade and ensure the safety and quality of imported medicines and their stable supply, to contribute to the improvement of public health. To ensure the safety and quality of imported pharmaceuticals, the Association operates laboratories that are officially registered with the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare as inspection facilities. The Association also holds workshops, seminars, and briefings on laws and regulations concerned with ensuring the quality, effectiveness, and safety of pharmaceuticals and medical devices. We have been a member of the Association since its founding in 1963, and play our part to ensure the steady import of outstanding pharmaceutical products, etc.

Handling Certified Materials (FSC^®, PEFC, SGEF Certification, etc.)

Please scroll horizontally to look at table below.