SDG 5 - Gender equality

Equality as a practised corporate value

The equality of all genders and identities is firmly anchored in our corporate principles and Code of Conduct. By doing so, we are sending a clear message in favour of respectful, non-discriminatory cooperation. We recognise diversity and equal opportunities as vital components of a positive working environment and sustainable corporate culture. We promote girls and women, including in technical professions.

Fair payment - regardless of gender or age

Equitable pay is standard practice for us. Thanks to our collectively agreed structures, we ensure that all employees are paid fairly, regardless of gender or age.

Flexibility for a better work-life balance

To support work-life balance, we offer flexible and individually tailored working time models, as well as remote working options where the role allows. We also enable part-time management positions – because responsibility and career opportunities should be accessible to all life models

SDG 8 - Decent work and economic growth

Fair working conditions as the foundation of our actions

As a company bound by collective agreements, we ensure fair wages and regulated working hours. This provides our employees with stable and reliable working conditions. The company, the works council and an independent complaints office are also always available to support employees and address their concerns.

Health and safety in the workplace

The health and safety of our employees is our top priority. Regular workplace inspections and risk assessments enable us to promote ergonomic working practices and reduce physical strain. These are complemented by mandatory occupational safety training courses, which take place at defined intervals.

Promoting diversity and participation

Our Inclusion and Disability Officer is committed to ensuring equal opportunities and encouraging the active participation of all employees. Our goal is to create an inclusive working environment where everyone has the same opportunities.

Sustainable Growth Through Strong Partnerships

Long-term customer relationships, continuous adaptation to changing consumer eating habits, and the development of new sales channels – especially in the online sector – ensure our sustainable growth and reinforce our economic stability.

SDG 12 - Responsible consumption and production

Frozen products: fresh, long shelf life and easy to portion

We only produce frozen ready meals and partially ready meals. In addition to the guaranteed naturalness of our recipes, our products are characterised by their portionability and long shelf life. Any food and packaging waste can be avoided by refreezing.

Growing range of plant-based and organic products

We are continuously working on expanding our product range. For a long time, we have been offering our customers a wide and growing range of vegan, vegetarian or certified organic products. Our aim is to expand the proportion of sustainable products together with our customers in the coming years.

Advanced packaging solutions for increased recycling

We are constantly developing our packaging further. To this end, we are testing new and alternative packaging materials in order to increase the recycled content of our sales packaging. We support our retail partners in their goal to increase the proportion of recycled own-brand products to 100% and reduce the total amount of packaging material used by 30% by 2030.

SDG 13 - Climate action

Certified energy management (ISO 50001) at both plants and environmental management (ISO 14001) at the Hilter site

We operate a systematic, certified energy management system based on the ISO 50001 standard at our sites in Hilter and Bremervörde. The Hilter site is also certified to ISO 14001 for environmental management, and we aim to achieve this for the Bremervörde site by 2027. We record all energy flows in the plants and evaluate energy efficiency, particularly for the most relevant systems and processes. This information is used to implement technical measures and to strategically and organisationally optimize energy use.

100% green electricity at the Hilter site

We rely on an energy supply generated from renewable, emission-free sources. The Hilter site has been running on 100% certified green electricity for several years already, and the Bremervörde site is set to follow suit in 2026.

Operation of the refrigeration centre with natural refrigerant and successive connection of all small refrigeration systems

Our centralised refrigeration systems, which supply our production processes and deep-freeze warehouses, operate using natural refrigerants in both plants. No climate-damaging refrigerant is used here! By investing heavily and implementing customized technical solutions, we have achieved an 85% reduction in the use of small refrigeration units over recent years. We are continuing to work on reducing the use of small refrigeration systems and will replace the remaining systems too.

Regular balancing of CO2e emissions and development of reduction measures

We have set ourselves an ambitious target based on the 1.5°C climate target of the SBTi (Science Based Targets Initiative): emissions caused by the use of fossil fuels are to be reduced by 45% by 2030. To this end, we analyse emissions at our production sites frequently and implement measures to reduce our CO₂e footprint. For instance, we utilise the waste heat from our refrigeration system to heat process water for production, as well as to heat our production and administration buildings, and for process heating technology. We prioritise energy efficiency when procuring new production facilities and technical equipment. Together with our engineers and suppliers, we develop efficient, detailed technical solutions and invest additional funds in implementing these measures, which often exceed the legally required energy efficiency classes.

Conversion of pool vehicles and company cars to an electric/hybrid fleet.

The use of fossil fuels for mobility is being rapidly reduced. This is being achieved firstly by using hybrid or fully electric vehicles, and secondly by making organisational changes, such as using public transport, combining journeys wherever possible, and holding digital meetings.

SDG 14 - Life below water

Selected and certified raw materials

When sourcing fish and seafood, we ensure that we only purchase raw materials from well-managed fishing areas and fish farms. Endangered species are not used in our products as a matter of principle. In addition, most of our raw materials also originate from responsible fisheries and aquaculture/farms that have been independently certified to the MSC’s environmental standard or to the ASC’s standard.

SDG 15 - Life on land

Certified raw materials: KAT egg, QS meat, RPSO, organic

For many years, we have been offering our customers various options for using certified raw materials and producing certified finished goods in accordance with independent standards. We place particular emphasis on this, since raw materials are central to transparency and responsible product design. The certified raw materials used primarily include QS-certified meat and KAT-certified eggs, as well as sustainable palm oil in accordance with the RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) standard, which can be used in addition to our regular range of raw materials. These certifications are regularly audited and monitored by external auditors within our company. Ready meals containing certified organic ingredients are becoming an increasingly important part of our portfolio.

FSC-certified folding boxes

We are constantly checking our auxiliary and packaging materials for optimisation regarding the use of more sustainable raw materials. For example, we use unbleached cardboard, FSC-certified folding boxes and recycled plastic films.

Environmentally friendly design of the production site

We are committed to integrating our production sites into the local ecosystem in an environmentally friendly and species-appropriate way. This involves creating a production environment that is as natural as possible for bees and native bird species, for instance by providing nesting boxes, perches and flower meadows