We promote responsible and informed purchasing decisions by proactively engaging with consumers with complete transparency.
Our packaging manuals include disclosing the characteristics of Private Brand products on the labelling. Complete nutrition tables are presented, with values per 100 grams and per portion. We also disclose, where possible, more intuitive information on the front of the packaging.
In 2021 Pingo Doce and Biedronka adopted the Nutri-Score label. It is a more intuitive symbol about the nutritional quality of pre-packaged foods, establishing a nutritional classification ranging from ‘A’ (high nutritional quality) to ‘E’ (products that should be consumed less frequently) and a corresponding colour code.
We use the “GMO-free” icon for plant-based products consisting mainly of maise and/or soy, two ingredients that are prone to being genetically modified.
Icons are used on Private Brand products in Portugal and Poland to discourage the consumption of alcohol by pregnant women, encourage responsible driving, and indicate the products’ calorie count.
We place icons on products rich in Omega-3 and gluten-free and lactose-free products in Portugal and Poland. In Portugal, sugar-free and fat-free products and those low in fat or salt also carry the respective icons. At Pingo Doce, the packaging offers cooking advice and suggestions for vegetable or fruit side dishes. In Poland, the nutrition table on the back of the packaging indicates fibre content. At the same time, specific icons are used on the products of the Plony Natury range (source of fibre, magnesium and protein and rich in fibre). In Colombia, we add indications of recommended daily ingredients, including calories, fat, sodium, sugar and protein.
We use specific icons based on our criteria and in accordance with Polish law.
We follow different communication strategies with our customers to make them aware of healthy eating options and sustainable choices.
For over ten years, product development and communication at Pingo Doce has been following the principles of the Mediterranean Diet, classified as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). Since 2020, and following the “Dieta Mediterrânica à Portuguesa” (Mediterranean diet, Portuguese Style) conference organised by the Group, Pingo Doce has embraced a new brand – Juliana – as an aggregator of food supply related to the Mediterranean diet.
The Pingo Doce bi-monthly magazine Sabe Bem (Tastes Good), with an average print run of 150,000 copies, is another primary channel for sharing this diet and includes recipes that encourage the reuse of leftovers. In 2019, 2020 and 2021, Pingo Doce published a cookbook based on the principles of the Mediterranean diet, printing hundreds of thousands of copies.
Biedronka continues to publish its quarterly magazine Czas Na… (Time for…), focused on healthier eating habits and lifestyles, with 120 recipes per issue and an average print run of 200,000 copies.
In Colombia, members of The Consumer Goods Forum designed the “Se Siente Bién” (Feel Good) campaign to raise awareness of healthy eating, with social media posts, e-mail campaigns and using the internal channels of member companies. Ara joined the campaign Misión Nutrición (Mission Nutrition) in 2021. The campaign’s slogan, “A selection of food to feed your region”, reveals its purpose: to fight the real public health problem in Colombia, malnutrition made worse by the lack of quality information on healthy eating habits.
We work together with various entities on projects that promote healthy eating habits.
Biedronka has been working with the Polish National Food and Nutrition Institute since 2009 to understand the dietary needs of Polish people while at the same time raising awareness among consumers of the importance of eating healthy.
Biedronka partners with the Polish Coeliac Society to monitor the launch of gluten-free products, which includes the production process, ensuring no cross-contamination and providing final product certification.
Biedronka published the report “Eating habits in Poland: what has changed in the past 25 years?” a study led by IPSOS and conducted in collaboration with the Polish National Institute of Public Health. The goal was to understand what dietary standards are being followed by the Polish people, what changes in diet have occurred in recent years, and how Biedronka has encouraged changes in consumption habits.
Under this partnership, the “A healthy choice” symbol is displayed on delicatessen products, making it easier to identify Pingo Doce products low in fat and salt, thereby contributing towards a more balanced, heart-healthy diet.
Pingo Doce works with the Portuguese Coeliac Association to identify gluten-free Private Brand products, a list of which is published on the Company’s website.
Biedronka has been working with the Polish Institute of Mother and Child since 2012 to develop products for infants and children by creating a public platform that lists all products that have received a positive evaluation as to their safety. The partnership was strengthened in 2020, with the launch of the magazine Dada & Rodzina (Dada & Family), on maternal and child nutrition information. Dada is Biedronka’s exclusive brand of baby products.
Ara has been part of the work committees of the Colombian Institute of Technical Standards (ICONTEC) since 2017, which discuss and create quality and food safety standards applicable to all product categories.
The “Menos Sal Portugal” (Less Salt Portugal) programme was launched in 2019 as a result of the partnership between Pingo Doce and CUF (a Portuguese business group specialising in healthcare). The programme aims to raise awareness of the harmful effects of excessive salt intake. A study on the impact of food education in changing eating habits and on various health indicators was conducted. In 2021, Pingo Doce and CUF created the “A Saúde Alimenta-se” (Health is Nurtured) programme to provide insight into the properties of some fruits and vegetables and the role they play in a diverse and balanced diet.
In Colombia, Ara joined “Gran Alianza por la Nutrición” (Colombia’s Grand Alliance for Nutrition) in 2021. The Office of the First Lady leads the initiative to combat food insecurity and improve the population’s nutritional status – especially children, young people, and migrants – to eradicate malnutrition.
Biedronka has been working with the Polish National Food and Nutrition Institute since 2009 to understand the dietary needs of Polish people while at the same time raising awareness among consumers of the importance of eating healthy.
Biedronka published the report “Eating habits in Poland: what has changed in the past 25 years?” a study led by IPSOS and conducted in collaboration with the Polish National Institute of Public Health. The goal was to understand what dietary standards are being followed by the Polish people, what changes in diet have occurred in recent years, and how Biedronka has encouraged changes in consumption habits.
Pingo Doce works with the Portuguese Coeliac Association to identify gluten-free Private Brand products, a list of which is published on the Company’s website.
Ara has been part of the work committees of the Colombian Institute of Technical Standards (ICONTEC) since 2017, which discuss and create quality and food safety standards applicable to all product categories.
In Colombia, Ara joined “Gran Alianza por la Nutrición” (Colombia’s Grand Alliance for Nutrition) in 2021. The Office of the First Lady leads the initiative to combat food insecurity and improve the population’s nutritional status – especially children, young people, and migrants – to eradicate malnutrition.
Biedronka partners with the Polish Coeliac Society to monitor the launch of gluten-free products, which includes the production process, ensuring no cross-contamination and providing final product certification.
Under this partnership, the “A healthy choice” symbol is displayed on delicatessen products, making it easier to identify Pingo Doce products low in fat and salt, thereby contributing towards a more balanced, heart-healthy diet.
Biedronka has been working with the Polish Institute of Mother and Child since 2012 to develop products for infants and children by creating a public platform that lists all products that have received a positive evaluation as to their safety. The partnership was strengthened in 2020, with the launch of the magazine Dada & Rodzina (Dada & Family), on maternal and child nutrition information. Dada is Biedronka’s exclusive brand of baby products.
The “Menos Sal Portugal” (Less Salt Portugal) programme was launched in 2019 as a result of the partnership between Pingo Doce and CUF (a Portuguese business group specialising in healthcare). The programme aims to raise awareness of the harmful effects of excessive salt intake. A study on the impact of food education in changing eating habits and on various health indicators was conducted. In 2021, Pingo Doce and CUF created the “A Saúde Alimenta-se” (Health is Nurtured) programme to provide insight into the properties of some fruits and vegetables and the role they play in a diverse and balanced diet.