Quality

In Quality area, Rimi has chosen a structured and systematic approach to ensure that the products we sell meet external and internal requirements and are handled in a safe manner throughout the whole value chain – “from field to fork”.

Rimi’s work is aimed on ensuring that all its suppliers have good, safe production processes. Rimi’s general expectations towards suppliers and delivered products are compiled in Sustainability appendix, which is an integral part of each goods purchase agreement. Sustainability Appendix originates in the Sustainability Policy and encompasses the Rimi’s general requirements to suppliers and their production sites regarding social compliance, product safety, quality, animal welfare, health and environment. This document serves as an umbrella under which all the documents containing product specific requirements (PSRs) concerning product safety, chemicals, quality, health and other requirements are gathered. For all product groups there is such a specifying document.

Corporate Brand* Suppliers have to fulfill the following certification requirements:

  • For food products: producers shall be certified in accordance with a standard approved by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) or other equivalent monitoring/certification system accepted by Rimi. These standards cover food safety management systems, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), as well as good manufacturing practices;
  • Primary production (Fruit & Vegetables) should be certified against GLOBALGAP, IP Sigill or other equivalent monitoring/certification system accepted by the Rimi;
  • Personal care products, e.g. cosmetics, personal hygiene and hygiene products shall be certified in accordance with the British Retail Consortium Global Standard for Consumer Products (BRCCP) or the IFS standard for Household and Personal Care Products. For cosmetics and hygiene products ISO 22716 is also an accepted standard;
  • Suppliers of nearfood products, e.g. household detergents, storage for food, toilet and household paper, shall be certified in accordance with ISO 9001, BRCCP or IFS standard for Household and Personal Care Products;
  • Nonfood products shall implement a third party certified management system for quality, preferably ISO 9001 or BRCCP or other equal management system relevant for the particular type of production;
  • For local suppliers of corporate brand* products, where the third-party certification is not yet available, a Rimi Quality Audit suits as an evaluation of suppliers’ food safety and quality management system.

In order to evaluate and regularly monitor supplier compliance, the following targets have been set:

  • 100% of Rimi Corporate brand* suppliers in high-risk countries** have to be socially audited
  • 90% of Rimi Corporate brand* suppliers have to be quality certified.

In order to ensure products safe handling, compliance to requirements and our Sustainability policy and guidelines, as well as to guarantee safe purchasing experience at Rimi stores, we have established quality management system within Rimi as well.

System has been evaluated by external 3rd parties and the following certifications have been obtained:

  • BRC certification for warehouses in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia for work in logistics and distribution;
  • ISO 9001 & ISO 14001 certification for Assortment & Buying.

“Rimi Baltic Standard for Food Handling in Stores” has been introduced in all stores. Stores performance is being regularly evaluated by performing store audits.

Regular laboratory testing is performed for products and surfaces based on risk assessment in order to ensure product safety, quality as well as to prevent from possible food fraud issues.

Animal welfare topic is high in agenda for Rimi, therefore certain requirements have been applied to suppliers in Sustainability appendix and PSRs for that as well. In general, Rimi expects that animals must be treated well, protected from unnecessary suffering and kept in an environment that promotes their health and natural behavior.

Rimi has committed to sell only cage-free eggs starting from 2025. An active work is ongoing in order to reach that.

 

*Brand owned by Rimi or where the supplier is not well known so that Rimi is expected to take responsibility for sustainability issues.

**High-risk countries are defined according to the UN Human Development Index and Economic Security Index (UNDP).