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About Us
Our Businesses
Investors
Responsibility
Media
Careers
Our businesses are united by our purpose to provide safe, nutritious and affordable food.
Quality assurance inspection, Allied Mills, Manchester, UK
Our food and drink businesses operate quality management systems based on the WHO Codex Alimentarius Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles and the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) range of standards, with most retailer-facing businesses required to seek formal GFSI certification, typically via unannounced audit schemes. Additionally, each division, as a minimum, sets and monitors a range of KPIs for each of its sites, including in relation to recalls and withdrawals, incidents and complaints.
These KPIs are reported to the Board on an annual basis, and any themes identified are relayed to the cross-business Product Risk Reduction Group for review and resolution. To help navigate the ever-changing legal landscape pertinent to food law, all divisions have access to a food law specialist within the Group legal team.
Each division employs staff to assure the safety, quality, legality, integrity and authenticity (Vulnerability Assessment and Critical Control Points) of both raw materials and finished products. Raw material approval format is dependent on the risk posed but will typically comprise vendor assessment by audit or questionnaire, supplier certification review and product testing.
At site level, HACCP outcomes and Good Manufacturing Practice determine the scope of quality assurance and quality control regimes. To continually improve site practices, structured food safety and quality culture programmes are in place. Threat Assessment and Critical Control Points protocols covering supply chains and site activities to counter malicious intent are also in place. All of the above regimes are subject to ongoing verification and validation activities.
Relevant businesses take nutritional factors into account across their product portfolio. Many of our food products already support healthier choices – from high-fibre breakfast cereals, wholemeal bread and crispbreads to specialist sports nutrition products. Product reformulation can help to gradually shift consumer tastes towards foods that support better long-term nutrition, and our food businesses actively review their portfolios with this in mind.
Making Sense of Sugar is ABF Sugar’s global platform for providing access to information based on science, helping to find collaborative solutions to health challenges as part of its commitment to thriving and healthy communities. In the UK, it draws from the UK Government’s Eatwell Guide to aid consumer understanding. Guidance includes practical suggestions for estimating portion sizes that are easy to follow at home and examples of alternative healthy options to reduce consumption.
We have a Group policy laying out our approach to genetically modified (GM) ingredients, including compliance with local regulations on their use and the labelling of GM ingredients. Seven separate ABF brands, including Ryvita, Jordans Cereals and Kingsmill, are among 24 brands that have signed up to the UK Food and Drink Federation’s Action on Fibre pledge, to increase fibre consumption in the UK. The UK businesses of our Grocery Group are members of the British Nutrition Foundation.
In Australia and New Zealand, George Weston Foods actively participates in the Health Star Rating system, a voluntary front-of-pack labelling system that helps consumers to make informed choices about the healthiness of products. Yumi’s displays the Health Star Rating across its entire range, making it easier for consumers to understand its nutritional values. All Tip Top retail products in Australia have a Health Star Rating, with 95% achieving a Health Star Rating of 3.5 or higher.
An application development technologist inspects bread rolls at the AB Enzymes baking lab, Singapore
