Sustainability
Our Commitment to Sustainability
As an established Japanese modern food manufacturer, we take pride in our commitment to sustainability. With a focus on producing the finest quality Sushi, Bentos, Food to Go products, as well as Japanese and Oriental prepared meals like Dim Sum, we go beyond culinary excellence. We believe in nurturing a harmonious relationship between our business and the planet we call home.
At Taiko, sustainability is ingrained in our core values and guides every aspect of our operations. We embrace a holistic approach, considering the three interconnected pillars of People, Planet, and Products. By prioritizing these pillars, we aim to foster a thriving ecosystem where our customers, communities, and the environment flourish.
Planet
Preserving and protecting the planet is a fundamental commitment for us. We recognize the urgency of addressing climate change and reducing our ecological footprint.
People
We understand that our workforce, and engagement with the communities we serve are at the heart of our success. We are committed to creating a safe and inclusive work environment that nurtures the well-being and development of our employees and the communities we operate in.
Products
Producing high-quality food while minimizing our impact on the environment is central to our sustainability goals. We are dedicated to providing our customers with safe, nutritious, and sustainable food options.
Our Approach
At Taiko, we have always embraced continuous improvement as an integral part of our identity. In today’s rapidly evolving world, we acknowledge the increased importance of assessing our impacts and enhancing our sustainability performance. 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 prioritize our efforts and continually challenge ourselves to be the best we can be.
Green House Gas and Energy Use
We continuously strive to minimize our greenhouse gas emissions and optimize energy consumption by implementing innovative and energy-efficient methods in our operations, to help us monitor and reduce our overall carbon footprint.
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 prioritize our efforts within our operations and supply chain.
Targets:
- Currently, 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.
- 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 utilized 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. 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.
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.
- We are committed to implementing impactful and effective solutions that align with the food recovery hierarchy, in order to minimize our current food waste.
Responsible Sourcing
We prioritize 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 Foods 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.
In 2022 we began to track supplier compliance against the Better Chicken Commitment standards. We have been tracking our work ever since. Our 2024 progress goes as follows:
- Stock Density – 2.9% compliant
- Thins – 46% compliant
- Light Intensity (50 LUX) – 32%
- Natural Light – 39%
- Perch Space – 81%
- Pecking Substrates – 59%
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 2024.
Targets:
- 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.)
- 100% of other key ingredients (chicken, beef, rice, etc.) will be responsibly sourced by the end of 2025.
Plastics, Packaging and Paper
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. Our approach revolves around the principles of reduce, re-use, and recycle, prioritizing these actions wherever feasible.
We prioritize minimizing our impact on natural resources and maximizing 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.
Targets:
- All primary plastic packaging will be 100% reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025.
- We strive for an average post-consumer recycled content of 30% across all plastic packaging by 2025.
- We are committed to eliminating unnecessary and problematic plastic by 2025.
At Taiko...
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.
Our Sustainability Policies
View and download our latest sustainability policies and guides:
Taiko Responsible Sourcing Standards Guide
Taiko Sustainable Seafood Policy
