Carrefour - 2017 Annual Report

C A R R E F O U R — 2 3 (1) Eater’s Digest 2017, Prosumer Report. Survey carried out among 11,976 people in 37 countries. Acting daily to ensure food safety W hile food safety is better assured today than it was thirty years ago, consumer confidence, shaken by a number of scandals, has eroded. Three quarters of consumers have expressed concern about the safety of their food. (1) Carrefour implements a rigorous quality policy and invests significant resources in guaranteeing food safety and quality. The Group remains extremely vigilant and focuses on transparency to keep improving its approach. Mastering all stages in the chain For Carrefour, consumer safety goes beyond the requirements of compliance. The quality policy implemented on a daily basis involves all stakeholders and all stages in the product lifecycle, from design to sales. Suppliers, producers and manufacturers all receive support to meet strict production criteria relating to the origin and traceability of raw materials, as well as to recipes and compliance with the Group’s requirements and standards. All sites which manufacture Carrefour brand products are therefore certified or audited, with more than 50,000 products checked in 2017. Consumer demands and expectations, as expressed during panels, tastings and use tests, are also taken into account when drawing up specifications. Across the entire logistics chain and in stores, Carrefour is rolling out a complete quality approach adapted to each product family and range. The cold chain for fresh products, for example, is monitored at every stage – inbound transport, warehouse delivery, storage, order preparation and shipping – before store teams take over to guarantee the freshness of these sensitive products. With the only objectives being freshness, health and customer satisfaction. Innovation to enhance traceability To ensure that customers are given clear and transparent information, Carrefour has introduced the first food blockchain in Europe for the Carrefour Quality Line Auvergne chicken. The use of this technology allows customers to use the QR code on the label to access, from their smartphones, information about the product from the farm to the store, including breeding methods, feed, quality labels and date of slaughter. In 2018, blockchain technology will be rolled out to eight other animal and vegetable product lines (eggs, cheese, milk, oranges, etc.) before being gradually expanded to cover all Carrefour Quality Lines. Blockchain innovation to enhance traceability Blockchain is a secure, tamperproof digital database which stores all information sent by users. When used in the food sector, it enables each stakeholder in the supply chain (producers, processors and retailers) to enter information in order to provide full traceability (dates, locations, farm buildings, distribution channels, etc.). The technology therefore meets consumer demand for transparency, showcases the expertise of producers and offers better food safety for everyone. Using their smartphones, consumers can access information about products and their journey up to the point they reach the shelves. Exemple of QR code on product label.