Seven & i Holdings Co., Ltd. and its consolidated subsidiaries (hereinafter referred to as "our Group") are working on a variety of measures to emphasize safety and reliability at all stages from raw materials procurement through to sales.

Seven-Eleven Japan manages various daily food product items, which includes rice and delicatessen items. To accurately identify which factories produce them and what materials are used in which areas, Seven-Eleven Japan manages information from all its factories that make daily items by using a database system and links to the POS (point-of-sale) data at its stores to precisely manage the production history of its products, from the production region of the materials used to the stores where the products are sold. This allows us to immediately respond to any problems that may occur with raw materials. It also checks for the presence of allergic substances and additives in its products to ensure that they are sold with the utmost care.

In addition, Seven-Eleven Japan is also able to precisely track the volume of food materials, packaging, and containers used at every factory, which helps it reduce waste by limiting excess production, for instance. Moreover, the company voluntarily conducts DNA testing on rice to prevent the admixture of other varieties as well as testing for radioactive substances.

Seven-Eleven Japan’s Raw Material Production Record Management Framework

Various leafy vegetables are used in 7-Eleven’s original daily foods (rice balls, sandwiches, stuffed bread, salads, delicatessen items, noodles, and so on). We began introducing cold chains (low-temperature distribution networks) in 2005 for low temperature transportation and processing in order to maintain high levels of freshness of produce from harvesting in the field to delivery to stores. Harvested vegetables are consistently maintained at low temperature in delivery vehicles, at sorting centers and processing factories, and until placement on store shelves. 

York-Benimaru has established a section called "The Secrets of Deliciousness, Safety, and Reliability" on its website, providing information on the production site, characteristics, production process, producers, and other aspects of the fresh food that the company has carefully selected.

Seven-Eleven Japan aims for fresh, homemade taste for fresh foods such as boxed lunches, and when using food additives, uses the minimum amount and types necessary. Further, we have set voluntary standards for food additives and make every effort to minimize the use of food additives that are of deep concern to our customers. In addition, with regard to labeling on use of additives, we conform to the Consumer Affairs Agency’s “additive free and not-used guidelines” and promote labeling that does not mislead customers.

It is said that excessive trans-fatty acids increase bad cholesterol in the blood and reduce good cholesterol, heightening the risk of coronary heart disease among other things. In Japan, where intake is low compared to other countries such as Europe and the United States, there is currently no obligation to display trans-fatty acids and no upper limits have been set. However, we are voluntarily working to reduce the total amount of trans-fatty acids in product, including those under the Group's private brand "SEVEN PREMIUM."

Our Group, in addition to displaying information about eight specified ingredients (egg, milk, wheat, shrimp, crab, buckwheat, peanuts, and walnuts) that are required to be labeled under the Food Labeling Law, also recommends displaying information about 20 equivalent items^※ so that people with food allergies can choose products with confidence.

Seven-Eleven Japan displays specified ingredients and equivalent items on all fresh foods, including boxed lunches, rice balls, sandwiches, delicatessen items, noodles, bread, and pastries. Additionally, for in-store cooked products (hot snacks, oden, Chinese steamed buns), the use of specified ingredients is displayed on in-store POP, and information on specified ingredients and equivalent items is disclosed on the website.

At Ito-Yokado, in-store cooked sushi, delicatessen items, etc. are labeled with "specific raw materials" and "equivalent items (excluding almonds)." The food products in the container have allergy information on their labels. For the products sold separately without packaging, a list of allergens contained in each product is posted at the store.

Denny's Japan provides allergy information on their website in a tabular format, and customers can also search the menu name by allergen only in Denny's in-store menu.

Our Group offers a low-allergen menu to make meals delicious and enjoyable, regardless of food allergies or not.

At the Denny’s restaurant chain managed by Denny's Japan, there is a low-allergen menu and low-allergen cake for children that do not include any of the eight specified allergens (eggs, milk, wheat, buckwheat, peanuts, shrimp, crab, and walnuts), created out of consideration for children who have food allergies. When the meals are prepared at the restaurants, employees cook and arrange the food in an area separate from the regular cooking line, and the tableware is individually washed and stored to prevent secondary contamination by allergens.

Seven-Eleven Japan has been hosting workshops for people with food allergies and their guardians since 2021 in collaboration with a certified non-profit organization. At the workshops, actual food selection experiences are shared with participants, and feedback from participants is used to improve product labeling with the aim of making products more user-friendly.

Our Goup labels genetically modified foodstuffs in accordance with relevant domestic regulations. In addition, genetically modified ingredients are not used for the main ingredients—for which labeling is obligatory—of products under the Group’s private brand Seven Premium (excluding certain products such as soy sauce and oil which use genetically modified potatoes, corn, soy beans, and other products which are permitted to be imported by the Japanese government).

In response to an increase in inquiries about radioactive materials since the Great East Japan Earthquake, our Group voluntarily conducts inspections to complement the monitoring conducted by the government, and we have posted details on our website. Inspections for radioactive substances are conducted for Ito-Yokado’s Traceable Foods with Producers' Faces and the results are published on its website.