Cerealto Siro presents sustainability achievements in Annual Report 2019
- The group invested 17 million euros in innovation and nutritional improvement projects and launched 220 new products in 2019
- Cerealto Siro joined The Valuable 500 in 2019, a Davos initiative to encourage disability inclusion at companies worldwide. It is also one of the first companies to become a Disability Confident Employer in the United Kingdom
- The company is maintaining its commitment to diversity, with over 40 nationalities and operations in over 50 countries. In Worksop (UK), it has a factory dedicated to the production of biscuits, snacks and cereal bars
Madrid, 21 July 2020. Cerealto Siro Foods, a leading multinational cereal derivative food product manufacturer for clients in the retail and B2B sectors, has presented its sustainability achievements in its Annual Report 2019, as well as the results from its economic and social management endeavours.
In order to create value for all its stakeholders, Cerealto Siro has implemented a sustainable management model aimed at the nutritional improvement of its products and the promotion of healthier lifestyles, diversity and inclusion of groups at risk of social exclusion, leadership in the circular economy within the agri-food industry, promoting a agriculture model that is sustainably compatible with the primary sector and ethical management.
Innovating for healthy food
In 2019, the group invested 17 million euros (3% of its turnover) in innovation and nutritional improvement projects for its products. These projects led to the launch of 220 new products.
The nutritional improvements introduced by the group over the last year included a sugar reduction of between 9% and 31% in a selection of products, a salt and fat reduction in items within the various categories, and the incorporation of more fibre and proteins or the use of ancestral grains such as quinoa, millet, spelt, oats or chia seeds.
Through its strategic Alma Prima project, Cerealto Siro is promoting a sustainable agriculture model focused on obtaining the best raw materials for producing higher quality products more efficiently.
The company also undertook various activities to promote healthy lifestyle habits, such as nutrition and food waste workshops for almost 600 children of employees aged between 5 and 14 and adapted to younger age groups. The families of employees in Worksop (UK) took part in this initiative and also promoted the 1st Family Day.
Leaders in the circular economy
Cerealto Siro has renewed its commitment to the 10 Principles of the United Nations Global Compact and has a sustainability strategy in place to help meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) defined in the 2030 Agenda.
It has also signed a new commitment with New Deal for Europe, a call to action launched by CSR Europe at the SDG Summit in Brussels. Its goal is to urge European leaders to integrate sustainability issues into the public agenda.
The group, which leads the circular economy transition in the agri-food sector, is committed to reducing the ecological footprint of its operations and met its 2030 commitment to reduce carbon emissions by between 15% and 20% two years ago, while also reducing its CO2 footprint from 0.14 tonnes in 2018 to 0.11 tonnes per tonne produced in 2019. A sizeable proportion of its electricity consumption is also taken from renewable sources and it focuses a part of its investment on innovation to develop sustainable, compostable and recyclable packaging.
Reliable and robust operations
Cerealto Siro Foods invests in the best engineering and technology to convert its operations into a competitive edge. Its One Production System model has led to uniform operations at all its plants worldwide.
It maintains a strong commitment to the digital transformation by implementing its Paperless Factory model at most of its sites, thus making progress towards smart factories and using Big Data to gain productive efficiency. All these efforts are being taken while continuing to guarantee food safety and product quality, as well as respect for the environment.
An inclusive company that is committed to employee development
Cerealto Siro is dedicated to integration in the labour market, with 11% of its workforce belonging to groups at risk of social exclusion. In this regard, it has joined The Valuable 500, a Davos initiative to encourage disability inclusion at companies worldwide, and it was one of the first companies to become a Disability Confident Employer in the United Kingdom. The company is also maintaining its commitment to diversity, with over 40 nationalities, and 35% of senior management positions are held by women. Employee training is key to the group’s strategy, which invested over two million euros and 54,408 hours to train 3,081 employees last year.
This is joined by the social initiatives supported by the Grupo Siro Foundation, such as the Training Excellence Scholarships, the extraordinary medical treatments for 21 group employees and their families or the recovery of historic, artistic and environmental heritage, underpinning the long-term commitment to the environments where the company does business.
Among other achievements in 2019, Cerealto Siro Foods obtained a score of between 81-86 out of 100 from the AENOR audit of the 100 social, environmental and governance issues defined in the Sustainability Decalogue for the Food Industry drawn up by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
With net sales amounting to 577 million euros, Cerealto Siro closed the financial year 2019 with production standing at 374,000 tonnes.
About CEREALTO SIRO FOODS
Set up following the merger of Siro and Cerealto, CEREALTO SIRO FOODS is a family-run multinational food product manufacturing company with a strategy focused on the manufacture of cereal food products for clients in the retail and B2B sector, and with a high dose of innovation and strong development potential in numerous markets.
The group posted a consolidated turnover of more than 575 million euros, currently employs more than 4,500 people and produces 374,000 tonnes/year at 15 production centres in Spain, Portugal, Italy, the United Kingdom and Mexico, as well as sales offices in the United States.
With scheduled investment of 120 million euros up to 2023, its business model is focused on the consumer, product and process innovation, and operational excellence. Furthermore, it is a benchmark in the inclusion of people at risk of social exclusion, who account for more than 11% of the workforce, and the implementation of the circular economy in the agri-food industry.
