Quality Assurance Initiatives

The Ajinomoto Group Quality Policies

The Ajinomoto Group ensures strict quality assurance from raw material procurement to sales activities by applying the Ajinomoto System of Quality Assurance (ASQUA) to all of its products and services.

Philosophy

We contribute to a better life for all throughout the world by providing safe and high-quality products and services.

Policies

1. We pay full attention to the request of our customers, and provide products and services meeting with their satisfaction.
2. We actively provide appropriate information to our customers and continue to improve our trustworthiness.
3. We make no compromises with regard to safety, conducting surveys and research as thoroughly as possible, faithfully complying with applicable laws and regulations, and always delivering products and services of uniform quality.
4. We assure quality through the Ajinomoto System of Quality Assurance (ASQUA¹), based on the concepts outlined in the international ISO² standard.
5. Under the leadership of our management, each one of our company's employees makes the greatest effort to provide sage and high-quality products and services through work at all levels, from research and development to production, distribution, sales and services.

1. ASQUA (the Ajinomoto System of Quality Assurance): This quality assurance system, which is based on the ISO concept, specifies those standards that are required for quality to be high enough to merit the Ajinomoto Group's brand name.
2. ISO: The ISO9000 standard is the international standard of quality assurance as determined by the International Organization for Standardization. The standard is not applied to products themselves, but embodies the requirements relating to the product's quality assurance systems that are necessary for customers to feel confident about product quality.

The Ajinomoto System of Quality Assurance

The Ajinomoto Group Quality Standards

The Ajinomoto Group Quality Standard is an in-house standard for ensuring that products meet the level of quality expected of the Ajinomoto Group's brand. The group has also set strict standards covering a wide scope of areas that include raw materials, packaging, quality control, and labeling. Examples of the standard are listed below.

Organizational Framework for ASQUA Implementation

Review of Activities in Fiscal 2010

In fiscal 2010, the Ajinomoto Group enhanced its communication with customers, and improved the system for sharing and incorporating customer feedback in its operations. Furthermore, in response to customer requests for more information related to product safety, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. actively provided relevant information in newspaper advertisements and on its Web site. To ensure a dependable supply of safe products, the company stepped up the auditing of suppliers, including those outside of Japan, and worked to raise the level of management in their operations.

With the 2011–2013 Medium-Term Management Plan for Quality Assurance, the Ajinomoto Group will continue quality assurance-related measures and uphold its commitment to customers to provide safe and dependable products. The group intends to improve its quality assurance systems particularly applicable to product design and development, new business domains, and new markets around the world.

Human Resources Training to Raise Quality Assurance Levels

In fiscal 2010, the Ajinomoto Group held a training program on quality for company executives. Information sessions on group quality assurance activities and the Medium-Term Quality Assurance Plan covering fiscal 2011 to 2013 were also held for division heads of Ajinomoto Co., Inc. and presidents of group companies. In addition to these annual events, the group held the 31st Ajinomoto Management and Technical Conference on Quality. A record turnout of 462 employees participated in the conference to discuss the latest initiatives and reaffirm the importance of quality assurance activities.

The Ajinomoto Group is also focusing on training employees from its companies outside Japan. The 10th Quality Management System Training Course was held in fiscal 2010. Nine managers were invited from Thailand, Vietnam, China, the United States, France and other countries to spend two weeks studying a wide range of topics related to quality assurance and promoting exchange between group companies. The group also held the ASQUA School in each region of the world where it operates, and actively carried out training on quality assurance in the ASEAN region, China, and Brazil. Designed to improve quality assurance levels at group companies, sessions were held in Vietnam for 24 employees from 14 subsidiaries in eight ASEAN countries, in China for 26 employees from 11 subsidiaries, and in Brazil for 26 employees from that country as well as Peru and the United States.

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  The training program on quality for company executives

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  The Ajinomoto Management and Technical Conference on Quality

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  Employees from overseas group companies at the ASEAN ASQUA School in Vietnam

Measures to Reduce Customer Complaints and Quality Issues

The supply of safe products to customers is of paramount importance for a company, and, therefore, one of the most vital missions for the Ajinomoto Group. Toward this end, the group carries out measures designed to reduce quality-related problems in every process of its operations, from product design and materials purchasing through to production and sales.

In fiscal 2010, the Ajinomoto Group reviewed and improved its framework for assessing quality at the product design and development stages. Exhaustive investigations were conducted on the underlying causes of each issue uncovered and relevant countermeasures were implemented, resulting in a decline in customer complaints and problems related to quality. Issues that continue to arise involve the misprinting of expiration dates, mislabeling, inadequate product volume, and the presence of foreign substances in products. Accordingly, the group is working to further strengthen quality assurance systems at the product design and development stages to improve design quality and prevent problems from arising in advance.

Supplier Audits and Quality Control

The Ajinomoto Group conducts transactions covering the outsourcing of production, purchase of outsourced products, and the purchase of raw materials with suppliers¹ based in and outside Japan. In accordance with criteria stipulated in ASQUA, the group requests that its suppliers establish quality control standards and quality requirements, and apply them during transactions. To ensure that quality control measures are being dependably implemented and transactions are legitimate, the group works to strengthen its relationships with suppliers and conducts evaluations via quality audits and other methods.

Outside of Japan, the Ajinomoto Group has established its worldwide Global Supplier Management (GSM) as a system for carrying out quality audits at companies in the ASEAN region, China, South America, the United States, and Europe. Through the system, auditors are provided with education and training to conduct the audits in these countries and regions.

1. Suppliers are defined as companies that subcontract product manufacturing and supply outsourced products and raw materials.

Product Recalls

In fiscal 2010, three voluntary product recalls were carried out by companies within the Ajinomoto Group. In August 2010, about 6,000 packages of Calpis Co., Ltd. Premium Butter (unsalted) were recalled after mold was discovered on some areas of the product. As the cause was identified as mold that had grown on packaging paper, Calpis Co., Ltd. has stepped up quality control activities related to packaging materials.

Approximately 200 tons of the seasoning, Sazon®, sold by Ajinomoto do Brasil Ind. e Com. de Alimentos Ltda., were recalled in December 2010. The cause was a discrepancy in the labeling of allergy-related information on the outer and inner packages, which resulted from using outdated materials for the outer packaging during a transition to new packaging materials. In response, Ajinomoto do Brasil Ind. e Com. de Alimentos Ltda. has completely overhauled its change management process and strengthened cooperation between divisions.

Also in December, amino VITAL®, a beverage exported from Japan and sold in Korea by Ajinomoto Korea, Inc., was recalled after it was confirmed that a food additive in the product had not been approved for use in the country. Accordingly, the group has worked to improve its quality assessments made prior to export.

Public Relations Initiatives on Quality Assurance

Approach to Food Additives and GMOs

The Ajinomoto Group conducts strict checks on the safety, usefulness and legality of food additives and genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and takes a firm stance against irresponsible labeling using these terms. In recent years, the number of processed foods labeled as "Additive XX-free" or "No XX" on the market has increased. As a manufacturer of food products, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., strives to avoid labeling methods that may give consumers doubts about GMOs and food additives recognized as safe based on government standards and scientific research. The company believes that inviting unnecessary confusion is not beneficial for the consumer.

Use of food additives and product labeling

Food additives not only enhance dietary lifestyles by improving the taste, aroma, nutritional content, and storage stability of food; they also play an important role in the distribution and effective utilization of food resources. Since food additives today are consumed by millions of people, they are subject to stringent testing under the supervision of governments to confirm their safety. The Ajinomoto Group selects appropriate food additives for use in product development and production based on the latest research findings on safety and other relevant issues. Furthermore, the group is committed to clear and accurate labeling of food additives on its product packaging, in accordance with standards stipulated in relevant laws.

Use of GMOs and product labeling

GMOs represent an important technology that is expected to play a major role in the alleviation of environmental problems and food shortages, including the reduction of pesticide use in farming by genetically modifying crops to be resistant to harmful insects. At this time, it is also important to thoroughly check the safety of GMO foods. In order to ensure food safety, stringent assessment and approval for GMOs is currently being carried out in various countries. In Japan, assessment is performed by the Food Safety Commission of the Cabinet Office, while the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare is responsible for approval and quality control. Labeling standards have been established in order to provide necessary information to consumers, and Ajinomoto Co., Inc. faithfully complies with these standards. The Ajinomoto Group also utilizes its own detection technology in order to prevent inadvertent contamination by ingredients containing unapproved GMOs.

• Quality Assurance Initiatives
• Initiatives for Customers

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  • Quality Assurance Initiatives
  • Initiatives for Customers
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