Almarai is dedicated to delivering top-tier products and services to all our consumers and other stakeholders. This commitment is integral to our overarching strategy of continuous improvement. Ensuring quality and Food Safety Culture is a collective effort among our staff, guaranteeing the safety, credibility, and dependability of all our offerings. We uphold this commitment through innovative systems and automation, diverse training initiatives and a comprehensive internal audit structure. Additionally, our systems undergo rigorous verification from globally respected certification and inspection bodies, who conduct both scheduled and unannounced audits and physical assessments at our facilities.
We are dedicated towards food safety and excellence through the attainment of the Food Safety System Certification (FSSC) 22000 across all our operations, a food and management certification acknowledged instrument acknowledged by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). Moreover, our facilities boast multiple certifications, including the ISO 9001 Quality Management System, ensuring the continual strength of our quality and food safety performance. To uphold this standard, we conduct tailored annual training for our employees, facilitated by renowned international experts such as AIB International and Campden BRI (UK). Furthermore, we have a recognition program to foster the development of our quality culture.
We are committed in our dedication to food safety and quality, and we will persist in ensuring that our products and services are of the highest quality.
In 2021 we have produced a revised Food Safety and Quality Policy that outlines our commitments and strategy towards maintaining the highest standards of safety and quality in the products we manufacture. As part of this policy, we have continued to commit ourselves to the certifications and management systems that govern our approach and will continue to maintain best practice in line with international guidelines.
Zero incidents of non-compliance with regulations and/or voluntary codes concerning the health and safety impacts of products and services.
Zero number of recalls.
100% of significant product categories covered by and assessed for compliance with product information and labeling procedures.
Almarai is dedicated to prioritizing the health, safety, and wellness of our consumers, and we are strongly committed to guaranteeing the safety and nutritional quality of all our food products. After achieving FSSC 22000 Food Safety certification across all manufacturing sites, we had extended the framework to ensure that all site laboratories and relevant methods obtain ISO 17025 certification by the end of 2023. This standard, effective as of July 2023, establishes the general requirements for laboratory competence and testing, serving as the global benchmark for ensuring technical proficiency in consistently producing reliable results. Our Poultry Farming laboratory has already acquired this certification in July 2023, and our ongoing efforts aim to instill absolute confidence in our consumers and customers regarding the highest global standards upheld in our feed, ingredient, and product testing processes.
In addition, we are aiming to extend our existing ISO 14001 Environmental Management System certification to encompass all pertinent manufacturing sites within the company. This certification has already been obtained in our Farming, Sales, Distribution, and Poultry sectors and was effectively upheld last year. The Dairy Juice Foods, Bakery, and Infant Nutrition (DJBI) divisions are set to achieve this certification by the first quarter of 2025. This initiative aligns directly with our overarching sustainability Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and to producing products in an environmentally responsible manner.
Throughout 2023, we collaborated closely with our primary suppliers to ensure they understand our sustainability objectives and our expectations regarding their obligation to obtain their own food safety certification accredited by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). Presently, 74% of these suppliers have acquired this certification, thereby uphold the safeguarding of our products and brand reputation.
In 2023, we continued to conduct some of our internal and external food safety audits unannounced, to demonstrate our “Quality you can trust” mindset. We believe this is a true reflection of our continually improving quality and food safety practices to deliver safe products of the highest quality to our consumers. Almarai’s commitment to “Quality you can trust” is also a commitment to continuous improvement, which is envisioned in the principles of our sustainability strategy, “Doing better every day.” We celebrated the annual World Quality Day by reflecting on our achievements to ensure the best quality for our consumers and our ambition to lead the way in every sector we participate in. The theme of “World Quality Week 2023” was “Quality: Realizing Your Competitive Potential,” which we as a business subscribe to. Employees at all levels of the business participated in some activities to reinvigorate the quality mindset and culture and to celebrate our successes.
| Goal/Target | Progress |
|---|---|
| All manufacturing sites will have Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) recognized certification by 2025 |  |
| All high-risk ingredient suppliers will have Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) recognized certification by 2025 |  |
