The quality and food safety of the products we sell are the basis of the reputation capital of our banners. We ensure the quality and safety of our Private Brand products and perishables through our technicians, external auditors and independent and accredited laboratories.
Two policies guide our work: the Product Quality and Safety Policy, which establishes the development and monitoring system for Private Brand products and perishables, and the Nutritional Policy, defining the six pillars for product development (nutritional profile, ingredients, labelling, portion size, continuous improvement, and communication).
In 2021 we took a strategic step in this area. We opened our molecular biology laboratory, a structure that adds capacity to verify the authenticity of ingredients and prevent food fraud.
We invest in, certify and monitor our processes, facilities and equipment.
We perform regular analyses of our in-store products and equipment to comply with our policies and international standards.
We train our employees to have effective control over the quality and safety of our products.
We audit our stores, distribution centres, and other infrastructures, such as the soup factory and fresh dough factory, based on international reference quality and food safety standards. In 2021, around 14,380 audits of stores and distribution centres were conducted, more than 180,000 work surfaces and handlers were analysed, and about 66,000 product analyses were carried out.
We maintained or renewed the following food safety certifications in 2021:
As at 31 Dec 2021
We continuously invest in building the technical skills of our employees in food hygiene and safety to ensure the effective control of our products.
In 2021, 213,186 hours of training in food hygiene and safety were provided to 43,663 employees.
Information on audits and product analyses, microbiological analyses and food safety training was confirmed by an external and independent entity for the Group’s 2021 Annual Report.