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Commitment to Minimizing Animal Testing

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Revised on : April 1, 2021

At the ×ãÇò¾º²ÊÍƼö, our goal is to contribute to the health and well-being of all living things through service, product and R&D initiatives across a variety of categories such as foods, supplements, medical foods, and contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) of pharmaceutical products. For all of these, it is our responsibility to evaluate and guarantee customer safety.

We strictly observe the 3Rs, which are fundamental rules internationally, scientifically, and ethically:

  1. Replacement: Consideration of methods other than animal testing

  2. Reduction: Minimal use of animals

  3. Refinement: Selection of methods that keep pain to the minimum

Researchers and technicians involved in animal testing shall be educated in animal physiology, biology and behavior and receive training on animal ethics prior to undertaking any work.

We always seek viable alternatives that minimize testing on animals. Across the ×ãÇò¾º²ÊÍƼö we are committed to understanding and deploying alternative methods and new technologies, where viable, and do not conduct testing on animals as much as possible.

For products including seasonings, processed foods, frozen foods and drinks, the ×ãÇò¾º²ÊÍƼö does not test on animals.

The only cases in which testing on animals may occur are:

  1. To meet local laws and/or regulatory requirements;

  2. When there is no other way to scientifically guarantee safety and effectiveness;

  3. For research & development of new materials, manufacturing methods or analysis methods that contribute to the health of consumers, patients, or livestock;

  4. To clarify nutritional impact, the mechanism of sensory receptivity, and the pathogenesis of diseases; and

  5. To confirm the safety of new materials or manufacturing methods that contribute to the health of consumers, patients, or livestock.

In these instances, animal testing is done only after a review by our internal animal testing committee, and only for the approved material or method.

At the ×ãÇò¾º²ÊÍƼö, we take the issue of animal testing extremely seriously, and we therefore commit to review this policy as required.

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Actions to Minimize Animal Testing

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Published on : June 24, 2024

In accordance with Commitment to Minimizing Animal Testing, the ×ãÇò¾º²ÊÍƼö adheres to the international principles of the 3Rs* (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement) is proactively working on initiatives that minimize testing on animals.

Regarding Replacement for animal testing, we are independently developing alternative technologies for animal testing in terms of utility. For safety evaluation, we are promoting the adoption of alternative methods that predict mutagenicity on a computer. In the future, we will continue to pursue alternatives to animal testing, such as utility evaluations using human iPS cells and safety evaluations using cell engineering.

In addition, in 2022, we joined the Japanese Society for Alternatives to Animal Experiments to promote the 3Rs, including alternative methods, and provide cooperation and support.

As for the minimally necessary use of animals (Reduction), our animal testing committee, which includes outside experts as advisers, checks the purpose of animal testing, the number of animals, and the experimental methods, and determines whether they should be conducted. In addition, researchers and technicians involved in animal testing receive training on animal ethics every year.

To minimize animal suffering (Refinement), the ×ãÇò¾º²ÊÍƼö places nest materials and playground equipment in breeding cages to create an environment that reduces stress for animals. In addition, we are working with the National Institute of Health Sciences to commercialize a micro-sampling technique that minimizes the amount of blood drawn, reducing animal suffering while also minimizing the number of animals used.

The ×ãÇò¾º²ÊÍƼö will continue to comply with the 3Rs* and promote initiatives aimed at minimizing animal testing.

*The 3Rs are fundamental principle internationally, scientifically, and ethically, consisting of (1) Replacement (Consideration of methods other than animal testing), (2) Reduction (Minimal use of animals), and (3) Refinement (Selection of methods that keep pain to the minimum).