We believe that as a consumer-oriented company, it is important to support the pursuit of a balanced lifestyle both in body and mind. Our consumers have different needs and preferences at different life stages, and through our diverse business activities, the Suntory Group will support consumer wellness at each of those stages. By offering choice in products, services and experiences through our soft drinks, health foods and other businesses, as well as by innovating in relevant fields, we will support the wellbeing and balanced lifestyles of our consumers.

Health Policy

In order to support the healthy lifestyles of our consumers, Suntory Beverage & Food will pursue various consumer-centric initiatives in line with the following Health Policy.

Currently, sugar-free products such as unsweetened tea and water account for 60%*¹ of the portfolio in Japan. In Europe, we have set a target to reduce sugar use across the entire product portfolio by 35% compared to 2015 levels by 2025. In Oceania, we have set a goal to make one-third of the beverages we sell low-sugar or sugar-free by 2030. We are also developing products with minimal use of artificial colorings and flavorings. In Europe, we have set a goal to eliminate artificial colorings and flavorings by 2025. Progress on initiatives in Europe is reported in Suntory Beverage & Food Europe Sustainability Report.

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  As of November 2023, based on volume

Suntory Beverage & Food Europe Sustainability Report

Expanding Our Lineup of Products that are Healthy for the Mind and Body

For decades the expansion of the world beverage market has been driven by consumer demand for drinks, especially carbonated products, which contain large amounts of sugar. In recent years, there has been an accelerating shift in demand toward healthier and more natural drinks. Utilizing knowledge gained through many years of research in Japan regarding the development of low- and no-sugar beverages (such as tea and water), we are developing new beverages that are healthy for the mind and body.
In Vietnam we released Tea+ Oolong Tea, an oolong tea with Oolong Tea Polymerized Polyphenols (OTPP) that reduce fat absorption and mitigate the raise of neutral fat in blood. Both of these products have been received positively by consumers. We have also released a low-sugar iced tea called MayTea in Europe. MayTea comes in a variety of flavors and was developed using Suntory’s expertise in tea products.
In addition to beverages, we are also developing the health food brand BRAND’S, which includes the nutritive drink Essence of Chicken. Made from fine quality chicken without artificial chemicals or preservatives, this product is popular in Thailand and other Asian countries.

Initiatives on Low-Sugar and Sugar-Free Products

At Suntory Beverage & Food, we are developing products with minimal sugar use in each country. In tandem with reducing sugar use, we are proactively investing in lower-calorie brands, such as Lucozade Zero in the UK.
In France, we reduced total sugar use in our flagship Oasis brand by 2,200 tons in 2022. In the UK and Ireland, we have added zero- and low-calorie options across our major brands. In the Ribena line of concentrated fruit juices, we reduced sugar content by 0.2 grams per 100 ml. Thanks to investments in product development and marketing, sales of products with less than 5 grams sugar per 100 ml have tripled since 2015.

In Oceania, we have set a goal to make one-third of the beverages we sell low-sugar or sugar-free by 2030. As part of our roadmap to achieve this goal, through 2023 we are pursuing three strategies: (1) reducing sugar by leveraging the Suntory Group’s technologies; (2) developing new products; and (3) launching small-size products. By the end of 2022, we had made one in six products sold low-sugar or sugar-free by advancing sugar reduction, particularly in our V energy drink brand.

Developing Food for Specified Health Uses and Foods with Function Claims to Address Health Issues

To help address social issues such as the rise in lifestyle diseases like obesity and high blood pressure, Suntory Beverage & Food offers a variety of products known in Japan as food for specified health uses (FOSHU) with proven benefits backed by research. This lineup includes: Black Oolong Tea OTPP, developed based on research showing oolong tea’s polymerized polyphenols have the effect of inhibiting fat absorption; Suntory Goma Mugicha (barley tea), suited for people with high blood pressure; Pepsi Special Zero, which inhibits fat absorption; and Tokucha (FOSHU Iyemon), the world’s first drink to clarify the lipolytic action of quercetin glycoside. The portfolio also includes other products like Iyemon Plus, a functional claim beverage that can lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. While seeking to eliminate negative health impacts and contribute positively to our customers’ well-being, we also emphasize great taste, pursuing research and development to ensure that our products are both healthy and great-tasting.

Reducing Artificial Coloring and Flavors

Suntory Beverage & Food focuses on developing products that use a minimal amount of artificial colorings and flavors. In Europe, we have set a target to eliminate artificial colors and flavors by 2025. In France, our product Oasis was renewed to a recipe which uses less sugar and only 100% natural ingredients.

Appropriate Information Disclosure

The Suntory Group strives to offer information related to safety and reliability to the customers in an appropriate and timely manner. We also indicate information on product labels, commercials, and ads in a way that is clear and avoid misunderstanding. Furthermore, the Suntory Group’s Code of Business Ethics stipulates that we must conduct responsible marketing as a corporate group that offers diverse products and services.
We promote the display of accurate product information in a way that is accessible and easily understood by consumers. In order to ensure the accuracy of product information, we collaborate with the related divisions in charge of development and production, and also confirm the compliancy and accuracy of disclosed information through our Quality Assurance Division.
In Japan, Suntory conducts thorough reviews of raw ingredients used in our products in order to display energy, carbohydrates, and sodium chloride (salt equivalent) as well as confirm the need for allergen labeling. We are sure to include not just the 7 items required by law to be shown on our labels, but the 20 items recommended to be displayed.
In Oceania, adapting the Health Star Rating* food labeling scheme for the customers to make choices on which product to choose.

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  Health Star Rating System…A front-of-pack labeling system that ranks and labels packaged food's overall nutrition profile from half a star to five stars.

Product Information

Responsible Marketing

Suntory Beverage & Food Europe participate in UNESDA’s* responsible marketing in schools program.
We have become a founding signatory of the new EU Code of Conduct on Responsible Food Business and Marketing Practices in 2021. Our commitments towards reformulation of our drinks, food waste reduction and the creation of sustainable packaging fully support the EU’s objective to place healthier products on the market and to support the transition towards a circular economy.
The UK has created its own voluntary marketing code to ensure that responsible corporate citizenship is at the heart of everything we do. This includes our commitment not to directly market products categorized as high in fat, sugar and salt (“HFSS”) to consumers who are under the age of 16, and under the age of 18 in Ireland.
In France, we volunteered in 2009 to not communicate on screens and in magazines aimed specifically at children under the age of 12-year-old. Since 2013, our commitments go further because we prohibit all advertising in generalist programes where children constitute more than 35% of the audience.
In Spain, our code of marketing practice specifically states that we do not advertise to children under 12 years of age or sponsor events aimed at children in schools. We also convey messages in all our advertising campaigns promoting healthy lifestyle habits. In Oceania, we are ensuring our marketing activities are responsible and do not actively target children. Also we partnered with New Zealand government as part of the Healthy Kids Industry Pledge. We directly sell only water to primary and intermediate schools in New Zealand.

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  UNESDA = Union of EU (European Union) Soft Drinks Associations

Organic Product Initiatives

In Japan, Suntory Beverage & Food has released limited-edition products made exclusively from organic ingredients, including Craft Boss Special Soy and Milk Latte made with organic coffee beans and Craft Boss Tasty Sugar-Free Black Tea using made with organic tea leaves and organic lemon juice.

Proposal of Healthier Lifestyle

In accordance with our aim to be a company which promotes consumer well-being, in 2018 Suntory Beverage & Food launched the "100 Year Life Project"in Japan. This project supports consumers in their efforts to achieve healthy and positive lifestyles in line with their own goals. We also promote joint research with external experts; research and development to strengthen our portfolio of beverages that address lifestyle diseases; programs to improve lifestyle habits; and other initiatives.
In Europe, we published the Moving on Health and Wellbeing report and are promoting various initiatives such as: providing active lifestyle programs to approximately one million people; reducing the amount of sugar used in our major brands by half; engaging with employees to develop more effective health programs in the office; and promoting the physical and mental wellbeing of all employees in the workplace.