Resolving Social Issues through Our Business Nichirei Foods
Fried, sauteed or prepared in various other ways, chicken is ubiquitous in daily dining. Thigh meat is the most popular part of the chicken in Japan, but it only accounts for about 20% of the whole bird by weight. Breast meat, which is popular in the United States and Europe, also only accounts for about 20%.
On the other hand, non-meat parts such as bones and feathers account for more than 40%, and become waste if they cannot be utilized. Devising processing and sales channels for well-balanced use of the entire bird is necessary to avoid food waste from carefully raised chickens.
Demand for chicken continues to increase worldwide, and Japan is one of the world’s leading chicken importers, with consumption far exceeding domestic production.
Aiming for stable procurement of raw materials, in 2008 Nichirei Foods established GFPT Nichirei (Thailand) Company Limited (GFN), a joint venture with a major Thai poultry processing company (GFPT Group). As a joint venture, GFN utilizes the functions of the GFPT Group for fully integrated processing from raw materials to finished products. Under the system, live chickens from poultry farms that use only the best feed and breeding stock are brought in, slaughtered and cut, then cooked, frozen and packaged at a directly connected processing plant.
In addition to facilitating stable procurement and production of safe and reliable raw materials, GFN essentially eliminates food waste by using the entire chicken in various ways. GFN considers effective uses and sales channels for each part, from the meat to the head, feathers and blood, then adds value and sells those parts (see the figure below). For example, feathers are processed and sold for use in feed for farmed fish; bones, intestines and heads are processed and sold as raw materials for pet food; and feet are sold in China, where demand for this part is strong.
Aside from product quality, consideration for the environment and human rights is also important, especially in Europe, to which breast products are exported. GFN focuses on initiatives such as creating a comfortable working environment and animal welfare, and has acquired ISO 14001 and other international certifications.
Our integrated measures for safety and reliability, from utilizing GFN Group functions to raise chickens from breeding stock to production at GFN, have earned a positive response from customers in Japan and elsewhere. The factory has no concept of waste when it comes to raw materials. Fully using all resources reduces not only food waste but also environmental impact. Moreover, expanding business by increasing the number of value-added products leads to returns to the local community and provides employment. GFN will continue working to address a variety of social issues through a sustainable chicken business.
