Knowing the origin of the raw materials we use is a fundamental requirement for the high quality of our products. We choose our producers carefully and establish fair, long-term partnerships with them. In addition, we support many of our producers and suppliers in the source countries through growing and processing measures. This allows us to control quality right at the beginning of our supply chain.
It takes a lot of experience and expertise across all levels to produce and sell high-quality food. That is why we make targeted investments in the ongoing education and professional development of our HALBA employees. It allows us to guarantee tailor-made products of a high quality for our customers.
To ensure the safety of our products, we have specified rules and requirements within the scope of our quality management system that exceed the legally required minimum standards. All our regulations, processes, and requirements with regard to our employees’ expertise and professional competence are precisely defined, from the procurement of our raw materials to the sale of our finished products. Every year, our employees undergo further training on product and operational safety, quality management and corporate sustainability. In addition to the general requirements of our quality management, our products are governed by the strict conditions of our certifications and labels.
Internal and external audits provide an additional layer of safety by ensuring that HALBA meets the high quality standards and continues to improve steadily. HALBA is IFS-certified. Among other steps, our quality control system consists of a structured incoming-goods inspection, online controls during the production process and exit controls. Additional process control and documentation measures are in place, and we improve them on a continuous basis.
HALBA products carry a wide range of high-profile sustainability labels, such as Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, Knospe Bio and Carbon Neutral Product. In the past five years, HALBA has increased its revenue from products certified with at least one such label by more than one third to CHF 202.1 million. Label-bearing products made up 71 per cent of our total sales in 2021.
HALBA offers its own customers the opportunity to certify their chocolates, snacks and baking and cooking ingredients with the Carbon Neutral Product label. A product’s eligibility for this label is assessed on the basis of its carbon footprint. HALBA calculates the carbon footprint and then offsets it in its Peruvian reforestation project within its own cocoa value chain. The process is verified by independent third parties.
In the past five years, the sale of climate-neutral products has more than quadrupled, surging from CHF 8.6 million to CHF 38.6 million.
