Mental and Physical Health Support for Children
Approach to mental and physical health support for children
Food has the power not only to provide nutrition, such as building the body and regulating bodily functions, but also to nurture a healthy mind. Through various activities, we will convey the importance and joy of eating, thereby supporting children's ability to live and think.
Dietary education activities
Kewpie Group conducts dietary education that convey "the importance and enjoyment of food" along with "food safety and reliability." Since 1961, they have been conducting "Open Kitchen (factory tours)," and since 2002, they have been conducting "Mayonnaise Classes" as outreach programs to elementary schools nationwide.
In addition, we provide other information related to food. On our website, we have newly added dietary education content such as the "Food & Life Academy," and we also conduct "Media Library activities" in which we distribute DVDs that support the development of a healthy mind and body to schools and consumer affairs centers free of charge.
Open Kitchen
Kewpie believes that "a factory is an extension of a home kitchen." Therefore, we call factory tours for the general public "Open Kitchen." We believe that allowing customers to see how our products are made is the best opportunity to help them understand our products and provide them with peace of mind.
The history of Open Kitchen (factory tours) is long, beginning in 1961. At a time when it was rare for the food industry to open its production sites to the public, it started with a field trip for elementary school students as part of their social studies curriculum. Even today, it continues to welcome many visitors as a place to learn about local industries.
dietary education content
Kewpie official website offers a variety of dietary education content on food and nutrition.
We will continuously add useful information and enrich the content to enable children to learn proactively and to enjoy learning together.
The experience of cooking vegetable dishes has a positive impact on a child's psychological development!
Research in the field of developmental psychology has shown that cooking vegetable dishes together as a family is extremely important for a child's mental health and development.
Children who have experience cooking vegetable dishes together at least once a month scored significantly higher on all six psychological development items—self-control, assertiveness, cooperativeness, self-esteem, logical and focused attitude, and curiosity—compared to children who only have experience cooking non-vegetable dishes together or who have no experience cooking together at all.
Even though we simply say "vegetables," there are a great many different types, and they vary greatly in color, shape, and aroma.
Furthermore, vegetable dishes are used in a wide variety of cuisines, and they appear very frequently on the dinner table, which is characteristic of a healthy diet. These characteristics suggest that the experience of cooking vegetable dishes together has a positive impact on children's psychological development.
Support for food bank activities
In Japan, it is estimated that approximately 4.64 million tons food loss that is still edible is wasted annually (2023 estimate: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries). Meanwhile, many people do not have enough to eat. Since 2007, Kewpie has been supporting Second Harvest Japan, a certified NPO that conducts food bank activities*1, and now donates products through 10 food banks nationwide and three social welfare councils with which it has partnered. This activity has also spread to other companies within the group.
Furthermore, since 2020, we have been donating products to MOWLS*2, an organization established by the National Food Support Activities Cooperation Association, through Kewpie Mirai Tamago Foundation .
*1Food bank activities: Activities that involve collecting substandard products and other items that are generated during the manufacturing process of food companies and providing them free of charge to welfare facilities such as children's homes and people in need.
*2MOWLS: A system operated by the National Food Support Activities Cooperation Association that supports the environment in which everyone, from children to the elderly, can get meals at "safe spaces" such as children's cafeterias throughout Japan.
Support for "measures against child poverty" through food
In recent years, while lifestyles and eating habits have diversified rapidly, social issues surrounding food have become increasingly serious, including a decline in knowledge and interest in food, particularly among younger generations, a weakening of communication through food, and child poverty. Based on its founding principle of "contributing to society through food," Kewpie established the "Kewpie Mirai Tamago Foundation*" in April 2017. By broadly supporting the activities of organizations that share our vision, we aim to contribute to society in ways that a single company alone could not. Together with our unique dietary education, we aim to realize a healthy and sustainable society with a long-term perspective.
*Kewpie Mirai Tamago Foundation transitioned to a public interest incorporated foundation on April 1, 2019.
Kewpie Mirai Tamago Foundation
Our grant activities primarily involve donations to organizations that create safe spaces for children through food, such as children's cafeterias, and that focus on dietary education. We also hold seminars to introduce successful case studies and foster networking among organizations, with the aim of establishing children's cafeterias and similar activities.
Number of organizations receiving grants from 2017 to 2025: 1,078 organizations
Number of seminars held from 2017 to 2025: 17 times
Bellmark Campaign
The Bellmark movement began with the desire to "provide all children with equal opportunities to receive an education in a rich and enriching environment."
Kewpie Group shares this sentiment and, since the Bellmark movement began in 1960, has sponsored the Bellmark Educational Support Foundation, a public interest incorporated foundation, and cooperated in educational support activities for schools and other organizations participating in the movement.
Bellmarks and Kewpie Products
Bellmarks can be found on Kewpie mayonnaise and salad dressing.
Bellmarks and Kewpie Products
WFP "Red Cup Campaign"
The Red Cup Campaign is an initiative to provide school meals to children suffering from hunger around the world.
Kewpie Baby Food's "Happy Recipes for Microwave Cooking" participates in the "Red Cup Campaign" of the World Food Programme (WFP), a United Nations food assistance agency, and donates a portion of its sales.