Declaration of Principles on Sustainable and Responsible Conduct

1. Respect for Human Rights

We are committed to upholding all internationally recognized human rights, as anchored in

• the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
• the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights as well as
• the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up

 

2. Workers’ Rights and Working Conditions

We provide our employees with safe working conditions and promote diversity, equality, and inclusion within our workforce. We treat our employees fairly and ensure that they are not subjected to any form of harassment, discrimination, or abuse. Within our company and in collaboration with suppliers, we advocate for fair, safe, and dignified working conditions, including in particular:

• the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining
• the prohibition of forced labor and child labor
• the promotion of equal treatment and non-discrimination
• protection from all forms of violence, harassment, or intimidation in the workplace
• compliance with legal regulations regarding working hours and wages
• the promotion of living wages, and
• safe and healthy working conditions

 

3. Environmental Protection and Sustainable Business Practices

We are committed to complying with all relevant environmental laws and supporting the objectives of national and international climate policies. Our actions are guided by the principle of eco-efficiency – striving to design products and processes that deliver maximum benefit and quality with minimal resource use and emissions.

Key elements of our environmental commitment include resource conservation, the prevention of environmental pollution, and the active promotion of a circular economy. This includes, among other measures:

• the efficient use of raw materials, energy, and water
• the responsible handling of chemicals
• the recovery and recycling of by-products and residual materials
• the promotion of efficient water and energy use, and
• the environmentally sound storage, treatment, and disposal of all relevant materials

 

4. Integrity and Business Ethics

We act in compliance with the law, with integrity, and with transparency. We firmly reject corruption, anti-competitive behavior, tax avoidance, and any form of unethical business practices. Our employees are regularly trained in ethical behavior. We also expect a clear commitment to these values from our business partners.

5. Integrity in the Supply Chain

We expect our suppliers and business partners to adhere to the standards set forth in our Supplier Code of Conduct and source raw materials exclusively from suppliers operating in a formal work environment. Together, we promote the continuous improvement of social, environmental, and ethical conditions throughout our supply chains.
If we identify that our standards are not being met, we work with suppliers to ensure that appropriate corrective actions are implemented.

6. Handling Serious Violations

We consider forced labor, child labor, life-threatening working conditions, severe environmental damage, large-scale corruption, and attacks on human rights or environmental defenders as serious breaches of our principles. We do not tolerate such violations and reserve the right to terminate business relationships in such cases.

7. Reliability through Standards and Transparency

Our corporate actions are based not only on principles but also on verifiable standards. To continuously fulfill our responsibility, we regularly have our processes and performance externally reviewed and certified.
We are proud to have been awarded by EcoVadis and audited according to Sedex/SMETA standards. We also support the Responsible Care Global Charter as an expression of our commitment to responsible and sustainable business practices.

Our internal management systems ensure the continuous improvement of our performance, including:

• our energy management system, certified according to ISO 50001:2018
• our quality management system, certified according to ISO 9001:2015
• our production processes, certified according to the principles of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)
• our food safety management system, compliant with FSSC standards, meeting the highest requirements for product safety and hygiene
• and our comprehensive HACCP concept, which identifies, assesses, and secures critical control points

 

These systems and recognitions demonstrate our clear commitment to sustainable, responsible, and transparent corporate management – today and in the future.