Takeshi Niinami – who resigned from his position as representative director, chair and CEO at the Japanese food and drink giant – said that he purchased the supplement under the impression that it was legal and not in violation of the firm’s rules.
Suntory was notified on 22 August 2025 that Niinami was under investigation by the police and instructed an outside legal counsel to conduct an interview with him. He subsequently decided to step down with immediate effect.
“Given that the matter is under investigation, the company believes that the determination of the legality of the above supplements should be deferred to the authorities,” Suntory said in a statement released on 2 September.
“However, for the top executive management of Suntory Group, strict compliance with laws and regulations is fundamental, and exercising appropriate caution in purchasing supplements is an indispensable quality.
“Therefore, without waiting for the outcome of the investigation, the company determined that Takeshi Niinami’s actions which demonstrated a lack of awareness regarding supplements rendered him unable to continue in the key position of [representative director, chair and CEO].”
The firm added that the supplement was not one sold by Suntory.
Niinami has worked for Suntory for the past 11 years, serving as CEO since October 2014. Prior to that, he spent 12 years with retail firm Lawson and more than 20 years at the Mitsubishi Corporation.
Headquartered in Tokyo, Suntory is one of the largest beverage manufacturers in the world, owning a wider range of alcohol and soft drink brands such as Ribena, Lucozade, Jim Beam and Sipsmith.
Subsidiary firm Suntory Beverage & Food Great Britain and Ireland is the third largest branded soft drinks supplier in the UK, supplying 98% of all outlets. The business has sites in London, Dublin and Gloucestershire.
In July of this year, the firm announced plans to invest nearly £1 million to continue its blackcurrant breeding programme with the James Hutton Institute.
