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Our policies
As a company, we believe in being open and honest about how we do business.
By laying out all of our policies below you can see where we stand on the important issues like ethical trade and genetically modified foods.
Organics in action
Hear how we’re working with our suppliers to offer a healthy, affordable range of organic ready meals for children.
Animal welfare
At ASDA, we see the farmers we work with as partners rather than just suppliers. We strive to forge closer working relationships with all of them, ensuring the best deal for them, fair treatment for their stock and ultimately the high quality of the end product. We actively support the National Union of Farmers’ (NFU) Red Tractor scheme to promote animal welfare. We are also leading the way with our suppliers to find innovative ways to improve animal welfare–such as our scheme which uses bovine activity meters to help farmers monitor the health of their herds.
ASDA strives to forge closer working relationships with its suppliers.
Detergents
In full compliance with the European Detergents Regulations (EC 648/2004), we have a dedicated section of ASDA.com where anyone can find the ingredients present in our range of household detergents. Visit our detergents site for more information.
Ethical trade
At ASDA, we are committed to ensuring that the goods that we sell are produced without exploitation and in acceptable working conditions. Our ethical trading policy is aligned to the Ethical Trading Initiative’s (ETI) base code, and we have been active members of the ETI since 1998.
We employ ethical trading managers throughout our business to communicate and coordinate this policy, chiefly by assessing our supply base and ensuring we audit our suppliers in line with the code.
To view the Ethical Trading Initiative’s base code, visit http://www.ethicaltrade.org/Z/lib/base/index.shtml .
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ASDA has been committed to the Ethical Trading Initiative’s base code since 1998.
Food safety
The quality and safety of our food is extremely important to us. That’s why we ensure that all of our suppliers have undergone a strict audit. We have 1200 suppliers each of which are visited at least annually by a third party inspection body who are highly qualified in food safety. Any suppliers that don’t meet our stringent guidelines will not feature on our shelves.
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Frequent supplier auditing helps to maintain the highest standards possible.
Genetic modification
Our definition of non–GM is something which has been produced under strictly monitored guidelines, applied at every stage — from the field to the finished product.
In response to our customers’ requests, we have made it a matter of policy that none of our products contain Genetically Modified (GM) ingredients or derivatives.
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ASDA has made it a matter of policy for all of its products to be GM free.
Palm oil
We aim to bring our customers products grown or manufactured using the most sustainable methods available. For this reason, we are an active member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) – an association created to promote the production and use of sustainable palm oil, and to directly help protect endangered species like the Orang–utan and Sumatran tiger. In 2007 we announced that we would not take any palm oil from Indonesia or Sumatra by the end of 2008.
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ASDA is helping to protect endangered species such as the Orang-utan.
Pesticides
We are working to ensure all of our fresh produce is grown in the most sustainable way possible. As a corporate sponsor of LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming), we are working with the organisation to reduce the use of chemical pesticides. We are also working with a number of our suppliers to develop ways that pests can be kept under control in a natural way — for example, using ladybirds to combat the spread of aphids on cabbage crops.
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ASDA is working with suppliers to develop natural pest controls.
Organic
Since January 2007 we have more than doubled our range of organic products, with food, household, health and beauty products now on sale. The words 'certified organic' on fresh produce mean the item has been grown according to strict standards that maintain and replenish soil fertility without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides or fertilizers.
The European regulations behind this also apply to processing methods and the ingredients in organic foods, and — because all suppliers must undergo rigorous testing — they guarantee the absence of artificial substances in our products.
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ASDA has doubled its range since 2007.
Sustainable forestry
Maintaining our commitment to sustainable sourcing, all of our hardwood garden and home furniture range is Forestry Stewardship Council certified, and our own brand toilet tissue is also from a 100% FSC certified source.
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ASDA brand toilet tissue is produced from a 100% FSC certified source.
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