What is the “Healthy Meal and Food Environment” Certification System?
The “Healthy Meal and Food Environment” Certification System is implemented as part of a broader initiative to promote healthier food environments.
Overview of the Certification System
This system certifies restaurants, take-out meal providers, and workplace cafeterias that continuously serve Smart Meal® (abbreviated as Suma-miru) in a health-conscious setting—an environment that provides nutritional information, protects against secondhand smoke, and supports overall healthy eating practices. In this initiative, a “healthy meal” refers to a nutritionally balanced meal that may contribute to better health—specifically, a meal that includes a staple food, a main dish, and a side dish. Certification is granted by the Certification Review Committee, which consists of multiple academic societies and related organizations. Certified facilities are permitted to display the “Healthy Meal and Food Environment” logo to promote their Smart Meal® offerings on menus, promotional materials, and point-of-purchase displays.
Certification Criteria
The applicable items vary depending on the department.
R: restaurants, T: take-out meal providers, W: workplace cafeterias
A single star (☆) is awarded when all required items are met.
Two stars (☆☆) are given for meeting five or more optional items,
and three stars (☆☆☆) for meeting ten or more optional items.
| Category | Items | R | T | W | ||
| Required Items | “Smart Meal®”Criteria | 1 | Smart Meal® (meals that meet the criteria) are provided | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 2 | Smart Meal® information is provided. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Smart Meal® Promotion | 3 | Smart Meal®displays "recommended" and other information that shows that the product is being promoted at the time of selection. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| 4 | Provide nutritional information necessary for Smart Meal® selection in the store, catalog, ordering site, etc. so that it is available at the time of menu selection. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Healthy Eating and Food Environment Management Structure | 5 | There is a staff member in the restaurant who can explain Smart Meal®. For lunch boxes, customers can make inquiries at the counter. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| 6 | Registered dietitians or nutritionists are involved in the preparation and verification of Smart Meal®. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| 7 | Smoking is prohibited in the restaurant | ✓ | － | ✓ | ||
| Optional Items | Advancement of Smart Meals® | 8 | Provides less-refined cereals as a staple food for Smart Meal® at least 3 days per week | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 9 | The fact that less refined grains are offered as staples in Smart Meal® is evident in the menu selections. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| 10 | It is clear during the menu selection process that the portion of staple food in the Smart Meal® can be selected or adjusted. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| 11 | Provides fish as a main ingredient in the main dish of a Smart Meal® at least 3 days per week. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| 12 | Soybeans and soy products are served as the main ingredient in the main dish of Smart Meal® at least 3 days per week. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| 13 | Nutritional information (energy, protein, fat, carbohydrates, and salt equivalent) is shown on the Smart Meal®. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| 14 | Smart Meal® Nutrition Facts label shows the amount of saturated fatty acids | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| 15 | There are at least two Smart Meal® per day. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| 16 | There is an incentive to choose Smart Meal®. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| 26 | The salt equivalent of Smart Meal® is less than 2.5 g for “Chanto" and less than 3.0 g for “Shikkari” per meal. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Promoting Healthy Eating and the Food Environment | 17 | Pickles and soup can be omitted from the menu and are indicated so that the user can recognize them when selecting a menu item. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| 18 | Sauces, mayonnaise, and other condiments are served separately. | ✓ | ✓ | － | ||
| 19 | Menu offers at least 70 grams of vegetables (including salad bar) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| 20 | Milk and dairy products are provided. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| 21 | Fruit served (except in syrup) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| 22 | They offer low-sodium seasonings. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| 23 | No seasonings on the table | ✓ | － | ✓ | ||
| 24 | Regularly holds meetings to improve the food environment, etc. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| 25 | The office (company) subsidizes the cost of meals for employees. | － | － | ✓ |
Item No. 26 has been included since the 4th call for applications in 2020.