Albert Heijn Pure and Honoust assortment of Biological products

Dutch supermarket chain Albert Heijn, market leader in The Netherlands, launched an own premium brand range of “Pure and Honoust” products. (In Dutch: Puur & Eerlijk). Products have been cultivated, manufactured and purchased with respect to the people, animals, nature and environment.

Albert Heijn Puur & Eerlijk Sustainable Categories

The Albert Heijn Puur & Eerlijk range consists of five categories. These five categories are: AH Puur & Eerlijk biological food, fairtrade, sustainable fishing, free-range animals and ecological products. All the product groups are grouped under one brand name and one type of, environmental-friendly, packaging. The sustainability of the AH Puur & Eerlijk products are guaranteed by independent external organizations.

Biological food is pure and honoust

The big assortment of biological products, since 1988 available in the supermarkets of Albert Heijn, now forms part of the own premium brand AH Puur & Eerlijk. All products are foreseen of the EKO-certificate, tested by the independent organization Skal. Albert Heijn goes a step further than “just the EKO-certificate”, for example with the taste, freshness and the information on the packaging of the products.

Criteria EKO-certificate

A product can only be considered biological when an official organization checked if the product and processes cumply the rules. In The Netherlands the organization Skal is checking all the Dutch biological companies that they follow up the the strict rules for biological production. Only when they meet the standaards they will obtain the EKO-certificate. This certificate guarantees the consumers they buy real biological food products.

Skal-company

Every year each biological company gets a visit of an inspector, next to the unannounced visits. Skal checks the food, spaces, animals and stocks. Biological farms cannot use or posess artificial manure and chemical-synthetic insecticides. Animal welfare, the space and how the farmer takes care of the animals, is the main point of attention. The inspector can take samples of material to have it checked later on.

Check troughout the distribution chain

Not only the farms get visits from Skal, but also the biological manufacturers. The origen of the biological ingredients and raw material are checked. Biological bread for example needs to be made out of biological flour. The whole distribution channel from farmer to supermarket is checked, and if everything is allright the products will obtain the EKO-certificate for guaranteed biological product.

More information about the EKO-certificate

More information about Skal

Source text and pictures: Albert Heijn