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Musashi

OVERALL

Owned
CHN
Rating
Criticism, some praise

Health and sporting supplement makers

Acquired by Vitaco Health in 2015. Owned by Nestle from 2005-2014.

Company Ownership

Musashi Pty Ltd   AUS     website   email      
  Vitaco Holdings Ltd   
   owns 100% of Musashi Pty Ltd  
AUS     website   email      

Health food, supplements and sports nutrition

Vitaco began in 2007 when two Australasian health & wellness companies merged: Nutra-Life and Healtheries. Bought Bodytrim in 2014 and Musashi in 2015. Next Capital acquired a majority stake in 2007 and floated Vitaco on the ASX in 2015. Soon afterwards the company was acquired by Shanghai Pharmaceuticals and Chinese investment firm Primavera Capital.

      Shanghai Pharmaceuticals Holding Co., Ltd   
       owns 60% of Vitaco Holdings Ltd  
CHN     website   email      

Pharmaceuticals

Founded 1994. Operates mainly in China, but acquired Australian vitamin business Vitaco in 2016.

      Primavera Capital Group   
       owns 40% of Vitaco Holdings Ltd  
CHN     website   email      

Private equity firm

Founded by former Goldman Sachs partner Fred Hu.

> About the Ratings

Company Assessment

PRAISE CRITICISM INFORMATION
Musashi Pty Ltd
No assessment data currently available for Musashi Pty Ltd
Vitaco Holdings Ltd
Environment 4/5 for packaging performance
This company received a packaging performance level of 4 (Leading) in its 2022 APCO Annual Report. Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) is a not-for-profit organisation leading the development of a circular economy for packaging in Australia. Each year, APCO Members are required to submit an APCO Annual Report and Action Plan, which includes an overall performance level from 1 (Getting Started) to 5 (Beyond Best Practice).
Source: APCO (2022)
Environment 2009 DUMP Award winner - Poor Packaging
In 2009 Healtheries received Environment Victoria's DUMP (Damaging and Useless Materials in Packaging) Award for their Kids Care Fruit Smash satchels.
Source: Environment Victoria's DUMP Report 2009 (2009)
Social Breaching advertising codes
On four separate occasions in 2011 the Therapeutic Goods Administration's Complaints Resolution Panel upheld complaints about ads by this company on the grounds that they breached advertising codes. The Panel requested this company withdraw the ads and not to use representations in the ads again.
Source: TGA Complaints Register (2011)
Environment Palm oil free products
Some, but not necessarily all, of this company's cereal products are palm oil free. For more details, follow the link to see Borneo Orangutan Survival Australia's list of products which manufacturers have told them are palm oil free or contain segregated certified sustainable palm oil.
Source: BOS Australia (2020)
Shanghai Pharmaceuticals Holding Co., Ltd
Business Ethics Part owned by Govt of China
This company's ownership structure is complex, but it is at least 24.8% owned by Shanghai SASAC, which is owned by the Govt of China, which has received criticisms, particularly over human rights.
Source: company website (2018)
Business Ethics Price fixing in China
In 2016 China's anti-monopoly regulator fined five domestic drug firms, including a subsidiary of this company, a total of close to 4 million yuan ($607,977) for fixing the prices of their medicines. Between April 2014 to September 2015 the companies raised the price of allopurinol tablets, a drug used to treat gout and kidney disease, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said in statements on its website.
Source: news article (2016)
Business Ethics 20/100 S&P Global ESG Score
This company received an S&P Global ESG Score of 20/100 in the Health Care Providers & Services category of the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment, an annual evaluation of companies' sustainability practices (last updated 23 Sep 2022). The rankings are based on an analysis of corporate economic, environmental and social performance, assessing issues such as corporate governance, risk management, environmental reporting, climate strategy, human rights and labour practices.
Source: S&P Global (2022)

> About the Icons

Company Details

Type Wholly-owned subsidiary
Aus Manufacturing Yes

Contact Details

Address Level 1, 82 Waterloo Rd, North Ryde, NSW, 2113, Australia
Phone 1300 851 312
Email customerservice@vitaco.com.au
Website www.musashi.com.au

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