The result, based on the 2025 CSA and reflected in S&P Global's Sustainability Yearbook 2026 published in February, marks the third consecutive year Pulmuone has placed in the top five of the food products category. The assessment evaluated about 9,200 companies across 59 industries worldwide, with only 848 earning a place in the yearbook.
In the food products segment, 241 companies underwent review. Pulmuone said it was the top-ranked South Korean food company among them, few points ahead of its domestic competitor CJ Cheiljedang, earning recognition for strengthened board independence, tighter environmental management and upgraded food safety systems.
The company attributed the improvement to gains across all three ESG pillars. In governance, it bolstered independent oversight by raising the mandatory ratio of outside directors to one-third from one-quarter and linking board evaluations to executive compensation.
On the environmental front, Pulmuone built a carbon footprint tracking system under the ISO 14067 standard and completed third-party verification for key products including tofu and udon noodles.
Pulmuone has also pushed into food technology, entering the commercial verification stage for land-based seaweed aquaculture and developing a CRISPR-Cas-based diagnostic platform for pathogen detection, for which it has secured patents.
"This result is an objective, global-level recognition of the sustainability efforts Pulmuone has pursued since its founding, rooted in our philosophy of love for neighbors and respect for life," said Lee Jung-eon, the company's head of sustainability management.
"We will continue to advance Pulmuone's unique values into ESG management that meets global standards, under our mission of 'Creating a Healthy Tomorrow for People and the Earth through Wholesome Food,' and build an ever-stronger foundation for sustainable growth."
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