Seven-Eleven Japan Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Tomohiro Akutsu) and Kyushu Sangyo University (Location: Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture; Chairman: Kazuto Iwasaki; President: Misakichi Kitajima) signed a comprehensive partnership agreement on food safety and food loss reduction on July 2 (Thu). The activities will be developed around four main pillars: (1) research dissemination, (2) mutual research cooperation, (3) student education, and (4) social collaboration. The core initiative is the social implementation of Professor Soichi Nakayama's (Department of Life Sciences, Food Safety) 'microorganism identification technology,' which uses Kyushu Sangyo University's mass spectrometer 'MALDI-TOF MS' to identify types of bacteria that affect food. This technology shortens the time required to identify one sample from several weeks to several hours, and is characterized by rapid and low-cost analysis. Professor Nakayama is advancing research by establishing the industry-academia collaborative 'MALDI-TOF MS Microorganism Identification Consortium' and has received the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award at the 7th Open Innovation Awards sponsored by the Cabinet Office. Seven-Eleven will collaborate in this research area to improve the accuracy and speed of solving hygiene issues in food manufacturing plants, thereby promoting 'extended freshness' that maintains product freshness while preserving the deliciousness of freshly made products. Four Pillars of the Comprehensive Partnership Agreement (1) Research Dissemination - Seven-Eleven Japan will provide public relations support and industry outreach for Professor Nakayama's research area. - Previously, in May 2026, a feature article was published in Seven & i Holdings' 'Shareholder Communication,' with approximately 290,000 copies distributed. As external communication, an introductory article about the initiative was published on PR TIMES STORY. Various media will continue to