In March 2020, a representative from Zensho Holdings' Food Safety Assurance Division gave a lecture on food safety to students at Osaka Prefecture University (Veterinary Medicine course and Plant Bioscience course).

As part of its educational curriculum, Osaka Prefecture University conducts visits and tours of meat processing plants in Australia together with employees of Zensho Corporation.

This time, we conducted a lecture on food safety with the aim of deepening everyone's understanding of food safety and its history.

In the lecture, I explained key points regarding food safety when procuring agricultural and livestock products, the necessity of management from the production stage, and domestic and international standards for pesticide residues and their rationale, taking into account the historical background.

Providing safe food starts with sourcing safe ingredients.
For example, what fertilizers and pesticides are used on the rice and vegetables used in Zensho Group stores?
We conduct preliminary research on the cultivation history, including "when" and "how" the crops will be used. Furthermore, Zensho employees visit the sites directly to check the cultivation conditions and history.

Based on this cultivation history and surrounding information, the ingredients are tested at the Central Research Center to confirm that there are no problems with the amount or type of pesticides detected.
At the Central Research Center established by Zensho in 2006, we use state-of-the-art analytical equipment to conduct a wide range of tests, including residual pesticide testing of agricultural, livestock, and marine products, veterinary drug testing, testing for heavy metals and other harmful substances, genetically modified food testing, and radiation testing.

Food ingredients that have been confirmed to be safe are processed in factories with thorough hygiene management, and then delivered to stores such as Sukiya, Coco's, Hama-Sushi from logistics centers throughout Japan in temperature-controlled trucks.
At our restaurants, we thoroughly implement measures such as personal grooming, handwashing, and cooking temperatures to provide our customers with safe, delicious meals and an enjoyable experience.

Students commented, "I was impressed by the efforts to consistently guarantee safety management from raw material procurement to product delivery," "I had never learned about the origins of pesticides in previous food safety lessons, so it was very informative," and "I enjoyed learning about plants and animals."

After the lecture, Zensho employee who served as the lecturer said, "This lecture was for university students, but I believe we should communicate more about Zensho 's approach and actions regarding food safety to our customers and stakeholders, either directly or indirectly through our website."

Going forward, Zensho Group will continue to prioritize "food safety" in its management and provide customers with safe, secure, and delicious food.