To provide a total of 10 million personal vegetable intake level checks by 2025 using VegeCheckby estimating vegetable intake based on the skin carotenoid level for the purpose of behavior modification among people with insufficient vegetable intake.

Improvement in nutrition by vegetable consumption

Kagome has an integrated value chain ranging from agriculture to production, processing and sales, which makes it one of its kind in the world. Since its establishment in 1899, Kagome has developed a business that contributes to the health and rich dietary habits of consumers through its strengths in production by utilising nature's bountiful provision of vegetables and fruits. Also, Kagome has been carrying out various ongoing dietary education activities over many years based on a desire for the healthy growth of the children who will take the lead in the future.

The goal is to establish the image of the Kagome brand in the year 2025 as that of a “strong company capable of sustainable growth, using food as a means to resolve social issues.” Those social issues include helping people to live longer, healthier lives (extending healthy life expectancy); promoting agricultural development and regional revitalisation; and sustaining the global environment. In aiming for this ideal image, the vision shared among all employees is the transformation from a ‘tomato company' into a ‘vegetable company’. Vegetables are an important source of all kinds of nutrients, including vitamins and minerals. Numerous epidemiological studies have clarified that the abundant consumption of vegetables is effective for the prevention of cancer, heart disease, cerebrovascular disease and various other ailments deriving from lifestyle diseases. Therefore, increasing vegetable intake may contribute to prevention of, and improvement in combating, the double burden of malnutrition – that is, insufficient vitamins and minerals due to poor nutrition and the outbreak of lifestyle diseases due to excessive nutrition.

Kagome wishes to contribute to helping people to live longer, healthier lives by graciously conveying the importance of vegetable consumption through recommending clever ways of taking in a reasonable amount of vegetables in our busy lives and developing attractive vegetable products. Also, through activities to increase vegetable consumption, Kagome wants to promote agricultural development and regional revitalisation. The sustainability of the global environment is an essential business foundation for the realisation of these goals, and so Kagome strives to conduct environmentally friendly business activities.

Kagome is contributing to the resolution of global nutritional issues by actively promoting stakeholder cooperation and open innovation and by implementing the following business activities: 1) wider provision of products (fresh and processed) utilising the nutritional functions of vegetables; 2) active engagement in dietary education support activities and the provision of accurate food information and enjoyable food experiences for children; 3) construction and wider provision of structures that promote increased vegetable intake using VegeCheck®, a device that estimates vegetable intake amounts; and 4) support for ‘children's cafeterias’, which provide a safe dining space for children in diverse situations, including those in poverty and those who eat separately from their families.