Jollibee Group Reinforces Global Food Safety Standards and Practices

As part of its commitment to serving food that people trust and harnessing a culture of food safety across its global operations and supply chain, the Jollibee Group has reinforced its global food safety standards and practices coinciding with the celebration of World Food Safety Day (WFSD) last June 7, 2024. 

Commitment to Food Safety. As part of its commemoration of World Food Safety Day celebration in June, the Jollibee Group extended its promotion of food safety standards to its customers through food safety stickers that its brands like Jollibee in the Philippines, Vietnam, and UAE, Tim Ho Wan and Yonghe King in China, placed on delivery orders. The sticker included a scannable QR code that links to the Company’s commitment to food safety.

This year’s WFSD, aptly themed, “Food safety: prepare for the unexpected,” underscores the importance of being prepared for food safety incidents where there is a potential or confirmed health risk associated with food consumption. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one in ten people worldwide fall ill from unsafe food each year, and over 200 diseases are caused by eating contaminated food. 

Jollibee Group Vice President and Head of Global Quality Management Wally Mateo emphasized the importance of collaboration in promoting a culture of food safety: “We have always believed in harnessing the collaborative power of our employees, partners, and stakeholders in advocating and adopting solutions that enhance food safety in our organization. We hope to nurture these commitments further. With programs that center on proper labeling, minimizing food waste and loss, as well as food security, we aim to raise awareness on food safety issues that affect not just our stores but also the entire enterprise.” 

Cultivating consciousness on food safety standards

During the webinar, Biomedix Founder and CEO Dr. Claver Bundac (top right frame) emphasized the importance of sustainability in food processing to ensure a safe and viable future for subsequent generations. The WFSD activities were organized by the Global Quality Management Team led by Wally Mateo, Vice President and Head of Global QM (bottom center).

The Jollibee Group centered its 2024 WFSD celebration on three focus areas, namely Food Safety, Food Quality, and Transparency & Traceability. These focus areas are guided by the Company’s global sustainability agenda, called Joy for Tomorrow. One of the three pillars under Joy for Tomorrow is on Food––to ensure the Company continues to serve food that people trust. 

Last June 3, the Jollibee Group organized a webinar led by BioMedix Founder and CEO Dr. Claver E. Bundac and National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) Asia-Pacific (APAC) Managing Director Jyoti Bhasin. 

BioMedix is a biotech manufacturing and distribution company that specializes in food safety testing systems, while NSF is an independent organization that facilitates standards development, product certification, testing, auditing, education, and risk management for public health and the environment. 

The webinar was attended by over 1,800 participants from Jollibee Group operations and support functions, and global suppliers. The resource experts shared insights on sustainable practices and technologies in food processing and the importance of collaboration in mitigating food safety issues. 

Dr. Bundac of BioMedix emphasized the need to integrate sustainable practices in food processing and business operations to ensure a safe and viable future for subsequent generations. For her part, Director Bhasin of NSF APAC talked about how collaboration among enterprises, authorities, and consumers is crucial in enhancing food safety protocols, overcoming challenges, and reducing food safety risks. 

The Jollibee Group has also released an instructional video to its operations teams on the enhanced Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) requirements, integrating the clean design standards for the Jollibee Group’s new stores. 

The brands of the Jollibee Group in the Philippines, China, and Europe, Middle East, Asia, and Australia (EMEAA) Regions also handed out delivery safety seal stickers with a scannable QR code that contains short information on WFSD and the Company’s commitment to global food safety standards. 

National Sanitation Foundation APAC Managing Director Jyoti Bhasin said food safety is a collective responsibility that requires transparency, commitment, consistency, and communication. Through collaboration, individuals and organizations can improve their problem-solving capabilities, enhance communication processes, and develop consistent food safety standards.

“Food safety has always been Jollibee Group’s anchor in serving great-tasting food and maintaining customer satisfaction. The Company will continue building on its strong foundation of food safety and quality practices to live its mission of bringing the joy of eating to everyone––now and in the future. To all our JFC colleagues, may our collective efforts pave the way for a resilient and sustainable future, where both our plates and the planet thrive harmoniously.” Mateo added.

About Jollibee Group 

Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC, also known as Jollibee Group) is one of the fastest-growing restaurant companies in the world. Its mission is to serve great-tasting food and bring the joy of eating to everyone through its 18 brands with over 6,900 stores across 33 countries. 

The Jollibee Group has eight wholly owned brands (Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal, Yonghe King, Hong Zhuang Yuan, Smashburger); four franchised brands (Burger King, Panda Express, and Yoshinoya in the Philippines, and Tim Ho Wan in certain territories in China); 80% ownership of The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf; 60% ownership in the SuperFoods Group that owns Highlands Coffee; and 51% ownership of Milksha, a popular Taiwanese bubble tea brand. JFC also has a business venture with award-winning Chef Rick Bayless for Tortazo, a Mexican fast-casual restaurant business in the United States.

The Jollibee Group, through its subsidiary Jollibee Worldwide Pte. Ltd. (JWPL) owns 92% participating interest in Titan Dining LP, a private equity fund that owns the Tim Ho Wan brand. The Jollibee Group has a joint venture with the THW Group to open and operate THW restaurants in Mainland China. The Company also established a joint venture company that will own and operate Tiong Bahru Bakery and Common Man Coffee Roasters in the Philippines. Recently, the Jollibee Group signed agreements to own 10% ownership in Botrista, a leader in the beverage technology space. The Company also owns a 90% participating interest in Titan Dining Partners II Ltd to further grow Asia Pacific food service brands and/or bring strong global food service brands to Asia Pacific.

The Jollibee Group has launched its global sustainability agenda dubbed Joy for Tomorrow, which aims to strengthen the Company’s commitment to sustainable business practices. The agenda centers on the key pillars of Food, People, and Planet, and consists of 10 focus areas namely: food safety, food quality, nutrition & transparency, employee welfare, farmers livelihood, community support, good governance, packaging & recycling, waste reduction, and energy & water efficiency. Each focus area sets goals and initiatives that contribute and align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

The Jollibee Group was named the Philippines’ Most Admired Company by the Asian Wall Street Journal for ten years. It was also honored as one of Asia’s Fab 50 Companies and among the World’s Best Employers and World’s Top Female-Friendly Companies by Forbes. The Company is also a three-time recipient of Gallup’s Exceptional Workplace Award and was recently cited in TIME’s List of the World’s Best Companies and Fortune Southeast Asia 500 List. 

To learn more about Jollibee Group, visit www.jollibeegroup.com