Company: SYY
Filing Date: 2025-08-22
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0000096021-25-000099
Chunk: 98

Company: SYSCO CORP
Filing Date: 2025-08-22
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1A
Chunk 98
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CSRD) in the European Union and the California Climate Accountability Package, and such standards may change over time, which could result in significant revisions to our current goals, reported progress in achieving such goals, or our ability to achieve such goals in the future.  

Adverse publicity about us or lack of confidence in our products could negatively impact our reputation and reduce earnings.

Maintaining a good reputation and public confidence in the safety of the products we distribute is critical to our business. Our brand names, trademarks, logos and reputation are powerful sales and marketing tools, and we devote significant resources to promoting and protecting them. Anything that damages our reputation or public confidence in our products, whether or not justified, could tarnish our reputation and diminish the value of our brand, which could adversely affect our results of operations, and require additional resources to rebuild our reputation and restore the value of our brand. The increased use of social media may increase the likelihood and magnitude of negative publicity across media channels, regardless of its accuracy or the reputability of its source, including as a result of fictitious media content (such as content produced by generative artificial intelligence or bad actors). In addition, it may be difficult to address such negative publicity across media channels.

Reports, whether true or not, of foodborne illnesses or injuries caused by food tampering could also severely injure our reputation or reduce public confidence in our products. If patrons of our restaurant customers were to become ill from foodborne illnesses, our customers could be forced to temporarily close restaurant locations, which would have an adverse effect on our sales and profitability. We also risk damage to our reputation if we fail to act responsibly in a number of other areas such as worker safety and welfare, human capital management, inclusion, environmental stewardship, support for local communities, and corporate governance and transparency. Any adverse publicity about regulatory or legal action against us could damage our reputation and image, undermine our customers’ confidence in us and reduce short-term or long-term demand for our products and services, even if the regulatory or legal action is unfounded or not material to our operations. Any of these developments or circumstances could adversely affect our results of operations.

Our relationships with long-term customers may be materially diminished or terminated, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We have long-standing relationships and agreements with a number of our customers. Some of our customer agreements are terminable upon written notice by either us or the customer, which provides some customers with the opportunity to renegotiate their contracts with us on less favorable terms or