Making a promise means taking responsibility. We know that. It's about a commitment to care about what's important to someone. Sustainability is important to all of us - it's one of the big issues of our time. On this page, we've summarised our sustainability promise for you.
How we understand sustainability: Our promise
Finest German food - today and tomorrow:
How we think and act sustainably at Hengstenberg
The responsibility we are talking is something we at Hengstenberg take to heart. We see that sustainability is coming to the fore in our world today. But why now? It almost feels like sustainability has become a trend. A bandwagon that everyone wants to jump on. Of course, it's right and good that more and more companies are moving in this direction. For us, however, sustainability is not a trend – it is what we have always done. There are a few things that have made us a sustainable company for many years, did you know that? We pay a lot of attention to quality and regional sourcing and production, care about issues like energy and the environment, but we also don't ignore our social commitment. Discover what it means for us in the following sections.
Sourcing and production
We have very high standards for our products - and this has been the case for generations. It has always been important to us where our raw materials come from and that only the best are used. In this regard, we rely on long-standing cooperation and tradition.
Regional agriculture
We have been working with regional farmers for decades. We pay attention to short, uncomplicated communication channels and want to know what is happening in our fields. The easiest way to do this is to know each other well. And we do. Because just like us, many of the farms that supply us are family businesses with a wealth of experience.
Highest quality Standards
High quality is at the top of our priority list. We want to produce high-quality food and thus contribute to healthy nutrition. And that's what we've always wanted - for over 140 years. Quality is the DNA of our company. And this originated back in 1876 - in the purity law for vinegars. But a lot has happened in these 140 years. That's why it's important to rethink every single production step and adapt it to the requirements of the times. How do we do this? With our passionate employees working with great know-how to give the very best every day, with a respectful corporate culture and with our contract farmers as partners since many years. This unique combination results in the consistently high quality of Hengstenberg products.
Only the best: what ingredients we prefer not to use
When our company founder, Richard Alfried Hengstenberg, signed a partnership agreement with a small vinegar factory in 1876, he was establishing more than just a company. Our product development and quality assurance work continuously to make our products even better. We are sustainable and innovative, and at the same time we want to keep what is proven and trusted.
For us, quality also means avoiding certain additives. These are:
- GMO plants (= genetically modified plants)
- Palm oil, palm kernel oil
- Additives such as glutamate and artificial colouring
- Micro- or nanoparticles
- Artificial flavors
We strongly believe that not using these additives is the right thing to do - in the best interest of consumers and our environment.
Want to take a deeper look behind the scenes of our production?
Energy and environment
Our world only exists once - and resources are not infinite. This makes it even more important to act wisely. We do this with great commitment and conviction. Because one thing is clear: as a food company, we also need plenty of energy to produce our products. But we use it sustainably to disrupt the earth's natural energy cycle as little as possible. Therefore, we introduced an energy management system in 2015. This allows us to always keep an eye on our energy demand and to better control our consumption. Our energy management system is certified according to DIN EN ISO 50001. In addition, we already use 100 % green electricity in production and administration. Our clear goal is to constantly improve our energy efficiency. Specifically, we want to reduce the company's total energy consumption by 13 % until 2025.
We also pay attention to the environment when it comes to our packaging - our main idea: we use a high proportion of recycled materials in our packaging and actively support our domestic customers by providing advice on the correct separation of waste.
Social commitment
The good we do for our products should also be felt by our fellow human beings. Social sustainability is an important element in our corporate management. A little more concrete? Of course: We want to treat people and the environment responsibly and ensure that our family-like atmosphere creates a sense of well-being among our employees. We are following official criteria such as the BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative) code of conduct. We always keep an eye on our employees by paying attention to health management in our company and taking measures to create a high level of job satisfaction. Occupational safety is also an important topic in this context, of course.
But internal commitment is not enough for us - we also want to get involved externally. We support charitable campaigns. Nearby in Germany, but also in faraway countries like Sri Lanka, where we started a donation project in 2005, which we continue to this day. The project supports the "Bharathy Children Home" - a shelter for orphans. Did you know that? And the most important thing is: we do it with joy and with the utmost commitment.
