Our Commitments
Corporate Responsibility at Ajinomoto Foods Europe
At Ajinomoto Foods Europe, we believe that a successful company must also be a responsible one. With two production sites in France, we integrate sustainable practices into our daily operations, directly aligned with our business activities. Inspired by the vision of the Ajinomoto Group, we place sustainable development at the heart of our approach, ensuring it is fully consistent with our operations, values, and environment.
Our CSR policy is built around three main pillars
We adapt our practices to current environmental, social, and regulatory challenges, while remaining true to our mission: to offer high-quality products inspired by Japanese and French cuisines, accessible to as many people as possible.
Climate Preservation
People
Governance & Ethics
Our CSR Commitments
Climate Preservation
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
By 2030, we are committed to cutting our direct greenhouse gas emissions by half and reducing those across our entire value chain by nearly a quarter. This target reflects our determination to take concrete action for the climate by transforming our practices and collaborating closely with our partners.
- We continuously monitor our factories’ greenhouse gas emissions to identify sources and define reduction trajectories.
- We have already achieved a 60% reduction in refrigerant gas emissions at our Castelsarrasin and Le Neubourg sites.
- We have implemented a refrigeration system modernization project that allows us to avoid the emission of 195 tons of CO₂ each year.
Responsible Sourcing
We are committed to building a responsible sourcing approach with our key suppliers to preserve resources and support sustainable agriculture.
- 100% of our suppliers have received our Ethical and Responsible Purchasing Charter.
- We prioritize certified raw materials whenever possible: French-origin beef, chicken, and wheat flour, RSPO-certified palm oil, and Rainforest Alliance-certified coffee and chocolate.
- Our European sourcing complies with the five fundamental principles of animal welfare.
- All eggs purchased for our French sites come exclusively from cage-free farms.
- By the end of 2025, 100% of our cardboard packaging will come from responsible sources (FSC or PEFC certified) or recycled materials.
Plastics and Packaging
We continuously work to reduce plastic use and design packaging that is easier to recycle, limiting our impact on the environment.
- At our Castelsarrasin plant, we have reduced pallet wrapping plastic by 60% between 2021 and 2022.
- A new washing system has allowed us to halve our macaron tray consumption.
Food Waste Reduction
We aim to reduce and recover 50% of food waste by 2030 across all production stages.
- Our factory shop in Le Neubourg helps sell consumable products and surplus stock at discounted prices to local residents.
- In 2024, around 20,000 products were donated to a local charity.
People
Local Commitment and Regional Roots
Health, Safety and Well-Being
• To prevent incidents on our production sites, a safety prevention policy has been implemented, along with enhanced training and awareness campaigns.
• An annual Employee Engagement Survey on Quality of Work Life (QWL) and workplace well-being is conducted.
• The Ajinomoto Group has established the “Ajinomoto Group Way”
Career Development and Inclusion
Our ambition is to make Ajinomoto a place where every talent can grow, develop, and thrive.
Governance & Ethics
At Ajinomoto, we believe that sound governance is the foundation of a sustainable company. The Ajinomoto Group has established clear global standards for compliance and social ethics.
We regularly raise awareness among employees about key topics such as harassment prevention, human rights, and anti-corruption, etc…
Our approach is based on two key commitments :
Combining performance and sustainability
We develop a responsible product range, rooted in our local communities and supported by the strength of our international group. This dual local and global approach allows us to meet the expectations of our stakeholders while anticipating future challenges.
Quality procedure: High standards and guarantees for quality and safety, applying Ajinomoto machinery and standards, as well as French and European regulations.
Governance with transparency and integrity
We build a rigorous governance framework, aligned with European requirements and founded on ethics, transparency, and responsibility. This includes concrete measures such as our internal alert system, the “Hotline,” which ensures anonymity and confidentiality to prevent any breaches of ethical, social, or environmental principles.
Ajinomoto has a whistleblowing procedure clearly displayed at all sites. This procedure applies to any violations of the Code of Conduct, attempts to conceal misconduct, faults, or breaches of law or regulations.
To ensure our duty of vigilance, we have sent an Ethical and Responsible Purchasing Charter to all our suppliers.
Our responsive Customer Service team enables us to quickly address any inquiries from our clients.
