Product quality We promise consumers consistently high quality.
Background
Making people happy – that is the philosophy behind all Storck brands. For this reason, quality is very important to us; we expect consistently high product quality, which can only be guaranteed through efficient quality management, including a responsible sourcing policy, company-owned and certified factories, transparent standards, in-house testing and sensory laboratories and, of course, dedicated employees.
Interview
Good raw materials, international certification standards and a tight control system: Roger Wedekind talks about Storck's demanding product quality standards.
Good taste and especially freshness are typical for all Storck brands. To guarantee this freshness, we have developed innovative technical packaging optimisation solutions. We also determine a precisely calculated and checked best-before date that helps us to guarantee freshness. Any proposed changes to best-before dates are subject to stringent tests to make sure that these have no negative impact on taste, colour, consistency or nutritional value.
We carefully select and strictly monitor our suppliers and wholesalers; some of the supplying factories are only approved after intensive checks. We have to be this strict in order to guarantee a consistently high quality, as even only slight variations in taste and raw material composition affect our products. The frequency of the respective controls depends on the sensitivity of the ingredients concerned. Current events also influence the types of control implemented, for example when there are reports of damaged crops in producing countries. We at Storck follow the fundamental principle that we want to positively influence the product at each stage of the process, and we do so.
Cocoa beans, for instance: the beans for our chocolate are purchased as a raw material, however, we then process the product itself further in-house, for example by roasting the beans ourselves. This way, the great flavour they develop after roasting is not lost during transport, and we can produce it to the degree that is exactly right for us. The same thing applies to our chocolate mass, which we again make ourselves. It's often a matter of fine nuances. "Made in-house" is a key element of our recipe for success. It allows us to retain full control over how our recipes are realised. This allows us to guarantee our very special and extremely high quality.
Regular controls and certifications mean that our work is auditable. Numerous audits ensure compliance with the legal requirements. However, we go even further and take part in voluntary certification schemes. We therefore meet additional, strict and self-imposed sourcing policy criteria as regards palm oil sustainability, for example.
Consumer behaviour changes all the time, and it is an exciting challenge to meet all consumer expectations. In this respect, we want to follow an authentic path that is in line with Storck's philosophy.
Certifications & Awards
IFS Food
IFS Food (International Featured Standards): globally recognised auditing standard for food producers, and an important safety and quality indicator.
FSSC22000
FSSC22000 (Food Safety System Certification 22000): important quality indicator of food safety in global production chains.
SA8000
SA8000: international social accountability standard for socially equitable and fair working conditions and health and safety in the workplace.
In addition to these, Storck also has a certain number of its products tested voluntarily by the experts from the German Agricultural Society (DLG). In 2019, Storck won again a DLG award for consistent product quality maintained over a number of years. The assessment process for this award entails the food being tested by expert committees who are not aware of the manufacturer, the brand or the price.