Product Quality

Conscious nutrition has to be learned: Kaufland and Lidl initiate and support projects and initiatives relating to healthy nutrition across the world. Formats such as Kaufland´s “Machen macht Schule” (Taking action in the classroom) initiative teach children how to handle food responsibly. Here, certified nutritional experts imparted their knowledge of healthy nutrition through play and age-appropriate learning over the course of 80 campaign days in the 2022 fiscal year. Lidl also helps children learn: Initiatives such as the “Lidl Food Academy for Kids” in Cyprus let children learn more about a balanced diet through cooking together.

With over 13,700 Lidl and Kaufland stores plus our online shops, the companies of Schwarz Group reach millions of people worldwide. We can make a major impact by promoting more sustainable purchasing decisions. We want to increase the transparency of the products with that in mind; one such example is our focus on digital traceability for fish and meat products. In the future, information about the complex supply chains of the food retail market and social and environmental risks will also be provided for even greater transparency.

We use the Nutri-Score voluntary nutrition label in our product communication where regulations permit and promote the use of a standardized label for identifying environmental impact in the EU. Lidl has also tested the Eco-Score label in a pilot project in Berlin. In the future, it could provide information about a food’s level of sustainability.

Short transport routes – home-grown products: These traits are showcased by the “Regio-Herz” (Regional heart) mark at Kaufland in Germany. Products with this label are sourced from a radius of 30 kilometers around the store. Through its “Ein gute Stück Bayern” (A good piece of Bavaria) regional initiative, Lidl promotes sustainable cultivation by farms in the region and labels such products with the “Geprüfte Qualität Bayern” (Verified Bavaria quality) seal. This helps the retail divisions in Germany to promote regional and local food and short, environmentally friendly transport routes.

Lidl and Kaufland were also the first retailers to switch almost their entire sausage and fresh meat range to the “5D” range, which means the animals are born, raised, fattened, slaughtered and processed in Germany, thus reducing transport routes and carbon.

More sustainability in the cultivation of raw materials and in our assortment – recognized standards in the food industry, including Fairtrade, Bio and Rainforest Alliance, help us achieve these jointly developed goals. Such certifications promote socially and environmentally compatible production methods and play a central role in the procurement of raw materials by the companies of Schwarz Group. In the textile industry, Lidl and Kaufland commit to the rigorous criteria of the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), among others, for their own brands and have been certified accordingly. Both are also partners of the “Cotton made in Africa” initiative, which is committed to more socially and ecologically sustainable textile production.

Every day, hundreds of tons of fresh fruit and vegetables arrive at Lidl and Kaufland stores worldwide. We take a close look at them: with respective standardized goods receipt processes and more than 100,000 independent chemical product tests with regard to the use of pesticides every year. An extensive banned substances list with over 200 active ingredients, jointly developed by Lidl and Kaufland, shows us which items have no business being in the fruit and vegetables areas. Quality is strictly monitored to ensure that customers can choose fresh and healthy products.

The companies of Schwarz Group advocate for healthier and more sustainable products. To help consumers make informed decisions, our initiatives focus on safety, quality and transparency. Schwarz Produktion and the retail divisions are taking a key measure by reducing salt and sugar in their own brands. Kaufland is also reducing fat. Lidl has offered transparency on the share of animal protein sources compared to plant-based protein sources in its assortment since the 2023 fiscal year and is continuously expanding its range with plant-based foods such as legumes, nuts and vegan meat alternatives. An important contribution to making our diet more climate-friendly. In addition, Lidl refrains from aiming marketing for unhealthy own-brand food at children. Both retail divisions are currently working with Schwarz Produktion on a joint Group-wide positioning on this topic.  In this way, the companies of the Schwarz Group are working together to create a healthier future for all of us.