News from the sustainability front
Discover the projects and measures currently being implemented by our competence centres in the areas of product responsibility, environmental responsibility and social responsibility.
Product responsibility
Organic premiere with diced bacon
The new organic diced bacon comes exclusively from animals reared on certified organic farms. The sustainable and eco-friendly production method of the organic diced bacon guarantees the product's high quality. No artificial additives such as preservatives or colourings may be used during processing. The traditional smoking or curing of the meat must also comply with strict organic guidelines. The mildly salted, delicately seasoned and aromatically smoked organic diced bacon is ideal for cooking and baking – the recipe for the tarte flambée can be found in the current Fresh Appetizer.
Environmental responsibility
Less plastic, more circular economy
Thanks to further developments in the cardboard industry, it is now possible to dispense with additionally coating the cardboard with plastic, saving 400kg of plastic film per year and making around 17 tonnes of cardboard recyclable. The new breathable packaging also increases the shelf life and quality of the pâtés. A packaging innovation that also benefits other subsidiaries in the ORIOR Group.
Social responsibility
Culinor promotes health at work
Based on an internal survey of needs in areas such as physical activity, nutrition and sleep, various measures were taken to improve health in the workplace. These include interactive ergonomics workshops, individual ergonomics coaching and workshops on healthy eating and sleep optimisation. In addition, back health test days were offered, during which comprehensive back health checks were carried out. An online learning platform also provides employees with further resources and courses relating to health and well-being. The programme was initially introduced at Culinor Destelbergen and, following a positive evaluation, was also rolled out at Vaco's Kitchen, a subsidiary of the Culinor Food Group specialising in vacuum cooking.
Review of sustainability news
Pasta innovations for special needs
Spelt grains are tiny powerhouses. They are rich in vitamins, minerals, fibre and protein. Spelt is now more popular than ever. Pastinella has also expanded its range and introduced two new spelt tortelloni varieties: Ricotta Spinach and Tomato Mozzarella. The nutty, tangy spelt pasta dough goes perfectly with these fillings. This high nutrient density gives spelt pasta its light-brown colour. In addition, spelt is generally very well tolerated as a foodstuff, which is due to the specific composition of the proteins. There is also a new product for vegan consumers. Pastinella is offering the Tomato Mozzarisella variety, a tortelloni filling with a mozzarella alternative based on wholegrain rice. Pastinella is thus once again demonstrating its innovative strength in the manufacture of products for special dietary requirements.
Net zero emissions by 2050
In summer 2023, ORIOR signed the commitment letter of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and for the first time prepared the full climate footprint across our entire value chain. Scopes 1 and 2 cover our integrated value creation steps, where we have the greatest influence and responsibility. Among other things, we are focussing on future-oriented plant development. Scope 3, which accounts for almost 97 % of emissions, is the biggest hotspot – typical of the food industry. Our SBTi commitment therefore includes short and long-term reduction targets in all scopes, with the overarching goal of achieving net zero by 2050.
Casualfood takes off on Beekeeper
Beekeeper is used at ORIOR as an internal communication tool to strengthen cohesion between the various business units and share exciting information across the Group. It is therefore particularly pleasing that Casualfood can now also use Beekeeper. The entire roll-out was prepared with a project team and finally successfully implemented. Casualfood now carries out the entire onboarding of new employees via the app, all chats are bundled on Beekeeper and many other topics such as voting, forms with digital signatures and the Casualfood handbook can be found on the platform.
Healthy fresh meals from Culinor
As "Natural" suggests, Culinor offers healthy and balanced meals made from all-natural ingredients under this brand. There are four different lines to meet the diverse requirements of its consumers: "Healthy Comfort", "Protein Boost", "Plant Power" und "Low Carb". Culinor uses seasonal vegetables and local ingredients to prepare its meals and all of the menus have at least a B Nutri-Score, and often even an A. Thanks to environmentally friendly, recyclable packaging, a contribution is also made to the circular economy.
First fully electric lorry at Albert Spiess
The first fully electric lorry from F. Murpf AG makes daily visits to Albert Spiess in Schiers, delivering packaging material and loading the goods for distribution. The electric lorry's route has to be carefully planned, as its range is around 300 km and recharging during the journey would be too time-consuming. It is a great pleasure that part of Albert Spiess' transport logistics is now sustainable and that an important step towards an emission-free future can be taken.
Successfully strengthen togetherness at Casualfood
Unsurprisingly, the initiatives to increase employee loyalty often have a culinary component. Whether it was a summer party, Christmas celebration, meet & eat, or a shared office breakfast – the "Casualfoodies" certainly have many opportunities to strengthen their sense of community in a more relaxed setting. A feel-good survey was also completed by the administrative staff to gauge the mood of the workforce. Targeted measures to promote well-being were derived from the results.
Radically local!
Fredag is now producing delicious, protein-rich bean burgers and yellow split-pea falafel for the Swiss food start-up Fabas Foods. What makes these products so special is that they are not only completely organic, but are also prepared with raw materials from Switzerland, and all the ingredients are processed exclusively in Switzerland. Using the QR code on the packaging, the origin of the ingredients can be traced all the way back to the farm. Thanks to their premium quality and culinary appeal as well as being easy to prepare, these products have already succeeded in gaining a foothold among organic specialist retailers. We were particularly pleased that Fabas Foods was named the winner of the Grand Prix Bio Suisse in November 2023. You can find more information about Fabas here.
Packaging innovation
Rapelli is once again setting new standards in packaging with its innovative separable paper packaging, which allows the plastic that protects the product to be easily separated from the paper sleeve. This significant innovation means that more than 70% of the packaging weight can be recycled. Migros Bio Lasagne is also packaged using the same concept. However, the lasagne packaging is not only separable, but is also designed in such a way that it can be used for heating in the oven and microwave. In addition, the thickness of the plastic was reduced even further. Thanks to these measures, the amount of plastic used in the entire ORIOR Group was lowered by over 10 000 kilogrammes in 2023. Looking towards the future, we are confident that Rapelli will continue to achieve successes in the area of packaging as a result of these ongoing efforts.
Management workshop
Every year, the ORIOR management staff meet together to discuss and work on current topics that are relevant to the ORIOR Group. In 2023, the meeting was held in Ticino and hosted by ORIOR’s salumeria specialist, Rapelli. One of the top items on the agenda was the assessment of which relevant sustainability topics will need to be addressed in the future. This assessment was conducted on the basis of a double materiality analysis, with all participants able to contribute specialist knowledge from their own units. The result was an updated list of material sustainability topics that will influence and guide our strategic work and reporting until 2025.
Sustainability at ORIOR
Sustainability – we call it “The ORIOR Responsibility” – is part of our core business and a precondition for Excellence in Food.
Product responsibility
Excellence in Food rests not only on our superb craftsmanship and the recipes and production processes, but also on the raw materials we use.
Environmental responsibility
We are well aware of our environmental impact. Astute management of resources is a top priority at the Group level and at every centre of competence.
Social responsibility
Dedicated and entrepreneurial employees who make things happen, conduct themselves respectfully and assume responsibility are key to our success. We are committed to good working conditions, and providing attractive job and development opportunities.