Food quality and safety

Lactalis' Food Quality and Safety Department is headed by the Group Director of Quality, Food Safety, Crisis Management, and CSR, who is a member of the Group Executive Committee and reports to the Chairman and CEO.

The Food Quality and Safety Department is responsible for ensuring the methods and processes deployed within the company. The Food Quality and Safety Department works closely with the network of Zone Quality Directors. Together, they define the Quality Strategy for Lactalis.

The Food Quality and Safety Policy is supported by the Group Operations Department, a member of the Group Executive Committee, reporting to the Chairman and CEO.

Each subsidiary CEO is responsible for ensuring that the products placed on the market comply with applicable laws and regulations, as well as for implementing the quality strategy and standards defined by the company. At the beginning of the year, during the annual presentation of quality reports, the Managing Directors commit to objectives and action plans that are rolled out across the Divisions and Support Services.

All members of the Business Unit Management Committees, and in particular:

• Division Country Zone Quality Directors,

• Industrial site directors and all logistics facility directors,

• Site and service quality managers, are responsible for the operational implementation and monitoring of the Food Quality and Safety Policy. They are also responsible for the deployment and application of the standards defined by the Group at all levels of the company.

Our Food Quality and Safety policy was defined by a team of Quality Directors from different backgrounds and geographical areas, involved in different product categories. We have defined a clear ambition: at Lactalis, Food Quality and Safety are an absolute priority. Quality is a mindset shared by all of us at all times.

It is recognized by everyone: customers, consumers, employees, and partners (suppliers, authorities, etc.).

The food quality and safety strategy “Act For Quality, Because we care,” defined in 2022, is based on four key pillars:

FOOD QUALITY AND SAFETY COMMITMENTS ALSO REVISED IN 2022.

Guaranteeing safe and compliant products

Guaranteeing safe products that comply with current regulations and standards.

Every day, we develop, produce, and deliver products that comply with regulations and standards in force around the world. We set robust standards that keep pace with scientific progress and regulatory developments. We implement food safety management systems in all our factories that comply with GFSI standards, which are recognized worldwide.

We regularly audit our sites, both internally and through independent third parties. We have developed relevant risk anticipation and management programs, as well as effective management of internal and external laboratories. We work with our suppliers and partners to achieve this goal.

Offering our consumers healthy and tasty products

Offering our consumers healthy and tasty products and contributing to external and internal growth. Designing and improving our products to always meet consumer expectations in terms of taste, nutritional benefits, and respect for the environment.

We take the utmost care in listening to our customers and consumers in order to innovate and improve our products. We carry out numerous validations before launching a product on the market to ensure its superiority over our competitors. We regularly measure the organoleptic quality of our flagship products and those of our competitors through consumer tests, expert panels, and internal panels of trained and qualified tasters.

Being efficient and striving for excellence

Being efficient and striving for excellence. Implementing performance and continuous improvement processes across all our operations to offer our consumers the best quality at the best price.

We carry out numerous quality checks and tastings of our products throughout the chain: from the receipt of our raw materials to delivery to stores. Through real-time quality measurement, review of results, objectives, and internal audits, we are committed to detecting deviations and eliminating defects in order to provide a compliant, high-quality, and consistent product. We work to constantly improve our standards, best practices, and management system.

Encouraging everyone to strengthen their expertise and leadership

Encouraging everyone (our employees and partners) to strengthen their expertise and leadership, to feel responsible, to work as a team, and to collaborate to achieve our food safety and quality objectives.

Food quality and safety are built through the application of our standards and the behavior and mindset of our employees, at all times and in all places. We develop and strengthen a culture of food quality and safety by ensuring that our employees and partners are aware and educated, by providing them with the means to succeed, by communicating openly and clearly, and by engaging senior management and managers.