Responsibility is ingrained in our core values and guides every aspect of our operations.
At Taiko Foods, we take pride in our unwavering commitment to responsibility, ensuring our practices reflect care for people, communities and the planet. With a focus on producing the finest quality sushi, salads and food to go products, we go beyond culinary excellence. We believe in nurturing a harmonious relationship between our business and the planet we call home.
In today’s rapidly evolving world, we acknowledge the increased importance of assessing our impacts and enhancing our sustainability performance.
We have always embraced continuous improvement as an integral part of our identity. Collaborating with sustainability experts, industry partners, and suppliers, we conducted a thorough materiality assessment in 2021 to gain a comprehensive understanding of our business, identifying key areas where we can have the greatest impact. Through this process, we have identified four primary environmental focus areas that serve as a guide for our ongoing sustainability journey across our brand. These focus areas enable us to prioritise our efforts and continually challenge ourselves to be the best we can be.
We continuously strive to minimise our greenhouse gas emissions and optimise energy consumption by implementing innovative and energy-efficient methods in our operations, to help us monitor and reduce our overall carbon footprint.
Green House Gas & Energy Use
We have conducted a comprehensive assessment of our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including Scope 1, 2, and 3, across our brand. This assessment has enabled us to identify areas where significant reductions can be made and has helped us prioritise our efforts within our operations and supply chain.
Higher-Quality Data Regarding Emissions
We are working on obtaining more accurate and higher-quality data regarding emissions. Once we have this data, we will determine the most effective approach to setting an ambitious target that aligns with our growth.
Net Zero Commitment by 2050
Our ambition is to achieve a Net Zero Commitment by 2050 as we continue to improve our environmental performance and reduce our impacts.
Food Waste
We take a firm stance against food waste, implementing innovative solutions at every step of our supply chain. Through efficient production processes, responsible inventory management, and collaborative efforts, we aim to reduce waste and ensure that our resources are utilised responsibly. We recently partnered with OLIO – the food waste hero program that works to eliminate food insecurity for local families. Rather than sending our overproduced items to waste and landfills, we redistribute and donate it to the community.
Establish Measurable Targets
As we continue to gather data and insights on food waste, our objective is to establish measurable targets for reducing food waste within our commissary operations.
Implementing Impactful Solutions
We are committed to implementing impactful and effective solutions that align with the food recovery hierarchy, in order to minimise our current food waste.
Since February 2023, we have successfully prevented around 10,000 meals, equivalent to approximately 4,000 kilograms of food, from ending up in landfills. This achievement has contributed to preventing an estimated 18 tons of carbon emissions from being released into the atmosphere.
Responsible.Committed.Ambitious.
Responsible Sourcing
We prioritise responsible sourcing practices by partnering with suppliers who share our commitment to sustainability. We support ethical farming practices, promote animal welfare, and engage in sustainable fisheries. We proudly hold membership in The Sustainable Seafood Coalition (SSC), and our sourcing decisions are guided by their Codes of Conduct and implementation plans, which incorporate a thorough risk assessment process.
Fish
All of Taiko's fish and shellfish are either farmed or sustainably caught. We were the first sushi supplier to launch products with the MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) logo over 8 years ago.
Eggs
We ensure that our eggs come from free-range sources. Additionally, we are actively working towards using free-range liquid eggs in our products, including mayonnaise.
Meat
Animal welfare is important to us at Taiko and we continue to implement processes within our sourcing strategy to ensure that the protein products purchased meet our standards. Higher welfare for broiler chickens is a key area that we are supporting with significant resources.
Taiko does not process or raise chickens directly. We purchase from suppliers, and it is our responsibility to ensure that we partner with suppliers that are aligned with our commitment to higher animal welfare standards.
We’re proud to be supported by Compassion in World Farming, a leading global animal welfare NGO on this work. We believe for change to happen we need to work collectively as an industry. This is why we have signed-up to the European Chicken Commitment and pledge to continue to improve our welfare standards for each of our businesses. In 2022 we began to track supplier compliance against the Better Chicken Commitment standards and as of January 1, 2023 we are able to report on the following progress with our suppliers.
| Taiko Foods | |
| Stock Density | 16% compliant |
| Lighting – 50 LUX | 35% compliant |
| Enrichment | 75% compliant |
| CAS | 83% compliant |
| 3rd Party Auditing | 70% compliant |
| BCC Approved Breeds | 0% compliant |
Sourcing Targets
We had a goal to develop a detailed roadmap by the end of 2023. We are continuing this work by gathering the necessary information from our suppliers and working internally with cross functional teams to understand the opportunities and obstacles to create an achievable roadmap. To ensure that we publish a robust roadmap that we have confidence in, we will continue working with support from Compassion in World Farming to publish a detailed roadmap by late 2025.
Tuna, Salmon, Shrimp & Surimi
100% of tuna, salmon, shrimp and surimi certified responsibly, sustainably and ethically sourced by the end of 2023. (We are proud to say this goal has already been achieved as of June 2023.)
Other Key Ingredients
100% of other key ingredients (chicken, beef, rice, etc.) will be responsibly sourced by the end of 2025.
Our approach revolves around the principles of reduce, re-use, and recycle, prioritising these actions wherever feasible.
We prioritise minimising our impact on natural resources and maximising resource efficiency. To this end, we actively support the Plastics Pact initiatives in the United Kingdom. We are exploring collaborative opportunities with innovative suppliers and industry partners to address the demand for primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging and reduce our overall impact.
Reduce, Re-Use & Recycle
In our commitment to delivering the freshest, highest quality food, we understand the importance of protecting the environments involved in the production, transportation, consumption, repurposing, and disposal of our food and products.
Primary Plastic Packaging
All primary plastic packaging will be 100% reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025.
Recycled Content
We strive for an average post-consumer recycled content of 30% across all plastic packaging by 2025.
Problematic Plastics
We are committed to eliminating unnecessary and problematic plastic by 2025.
Our commitment to sustainability is a driving force that shapes our decisions and actions.
We embrace transparency, regularly assess our performance, and remain dedicated to continuous improvement. Together with our customers and partners, we strive to nurture a greener, more inclusive future—one delicious and sustainable meal at a time.
