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Ethical Trading

Respect for suppliers and customers

Our responsibility is to carry out our business ethically and with respect for the rights and interests of our suppliers and customers.

As well as a set of environmental standards, Allied Bakeries Ethical Trading Code incorporates the requirements of the Ethical Trading Initiative Base Code. All our 3,500 suppliers have signed up to our Ethical Trading Code, which is an integral part of our supplier approval process.

We take fair trade and fair competition very seriously - all our sales team, along with anyone else who comes into contact with either customers or competitors, are fully briefed in competition law and the Groceries Supply Code of Practice, and undergo regular refresher training.

Allied Bakeries recognises the global environmental impact of unsustainable palm oil production and is committed to the responsible sourcing of the palm oil that we use. Hard fat is an essential part of any recipe for bread and given that there is currently no acceptable alternative to palm oil, we've made a commitment to use 100% sustainable palm oil by 2014. We're a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. Since January 2010 all of our palm oil usage (both palm oil and palm derivatives, around 1,000 tonnes per year) has been 100% covered by Green Palm Certificates. In 2011 we started using segregated sustainable palm oil and by the end of 2011 this will constitute over 20% of our total palm usage. We continue to work closely with our suppliers to identify how they can supply us with ingredients made with oil from sustainable sources as not all palm-containing ingredients are currently available as sustainable versions. Until they are we will continue to cover their use with green palm certificates to encourage the overall availability of sustainable palm oil.

We are proud to have signed up to The Prompt Payment Code as it recognises the importance of Allied Bakeries behaving in an ethical manner towards its suppliers.

We believe in open and honest dealing inside and outside our business and provide a whistleblowing mechanism for any interested party to flag concerns or issues to an independent third party.