Beverage Industry's 'Social Issues Response Research Group' Announces Initiative on Relaxing Delivery Expiration Date Rules (Allowing Manufacturing Lot Reversal) Toward a Sustainable Society

Asahi Beverage Co., Ltd., Ito En, Ltd., Kirin Beverage Co., Ltd., Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan Co., Ltd., and Suntory Beverage & Food Limited—the five major beverage companies—have been actively discussing social issues such as the 'Logistics 2024' challenge and food waste through the 'Social Issues Response Research Group,' established in November 2024.

In November 2025, the group announced five key themes, including the 'relaxation of delivery expiration date rules (allowing manufacturing lot reversal),' and is now advancing concrete initiatives.

※1 Refers to lots with the same expiration date

Following the group's announcement, Seven-Eleven Japan Co., Ltd. has agreed to support the 'relaxation of delivery expiration date rules (allowing lot reversal)' initiative and will begin implementing it for beverage products this week. Additionally, Summit Co., Ltd. has also expressed support and plans to start a pilot experiment at select stores and for select products from late July.

This initiative aims to improve challenges such as logistics burdens and food waste arising from trade customs in the manufacturing-wholesale-retail ("Sei-Hai-Han") supply chain.

Going forward, the group will further expand collaboration with other distribution companies that support this initiative, advancing efforts toward realizing a sustainable society.

※2 "Sei-Hai-Han" refers to Manufacturing (Sei), Wholesale (Hai), and Retail (Han)

【Background of the Initiative】

In the manufacturing-wholesale-retail supply chain, daily transportation is conducted to align manufacturing lots and prevent lot reversal. However, when such transportation is not possible, food waste occurs even before products reach store shelves. With the 'Logistics 2024' challenge expected to worsen truck driver shortages and impact distribution, the group believes that relaxing delivery rules for long-shelf-life products like beverages can contribute to improving both logistics efficiency and food waste across the entire supply chain.

According to a survey conducted by the research group※3, around 60–80% of consumers are concerned about expiration dates for perishable goods such as fresh meat and milk, whereas only about 10–20% show concern for processed foods. Notably, for PET bottle beverages, consumer responses are similar to ice cream—which has no mandatory expiration date labeling—and nearly 90% of respondents indicated they would still purchase products even if a one-month expiration date reversal were observed at retail. Therefore, the impact on consumer purchasing behavior is expected to be minimal.

※3 2025 Survey on Consumer Awareness of Expiration Dates

【Specific Initiative Details】

In collaboration with distribution partners supporting the 'relaxation of delivery expiration date rules (allowing lot reversal),' the group will proceed with the following measures to reduce logistics burdens and food waste:

Begin operations allowing limited manufacturing lot reversal within existing delivery deadlines

Establish systems under the premise that distribution partners maintain their current delivery and sales deadlines

Reduce additional transportation previously required to align manufacturing lots

The research group continues to engage in discussions and exchanges with relevant government agencies such as the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, as well as cross-industry logistics research groups, to collaboratively address complex social issues that cannot be solved by individual companies alone.

The five companies will continue their discussions and research on social issues, fulfilling their social responsibilities while maintaining environmental considerations, and advancing business activities toward a sustainable society.