Going beyond the current regulations, Casino Group is committed to banning a certain number of substances, said to be controversial, due to societal debates on their potential or supposed impacts on health or the environment.
In France, the Group benefits from a base of common commitments for its private-label food products which aims at banning or reducing the use of authorised but controversial additives, ingredients or other substances. This base encompasses today 85 substances that the Group has already banned, or wishes to, from its product ranges. These commitments will evolve in response to scientific data, societal expectations and also market developments.
Additives
For many years, the Group’s policy has been to limit as much as possible the presence of additives in its private-label products. When, for technological or health reasons, it is not possible to avoid additives, the quantity must be kept to a minimum for the desired effect.
Since 2019, titanium dioxide is no longer used in the Group’s private-label food products, well before its legal ban. (Decree from 17th April 2019 regarding the suspension of all sales of goods containing the E171 titanium dioxide additive, put into effect on 1st January 2020).
BHA and BHT are synthetic antioxidants used as food preservatives. These substances are considered to be harmful to human health as well as presenting risks of cancer and hormonal disruption. These two preservatives were banned from private-label products and, since 2019, no product contains these additives.
Ingredients
Since 2019, there is no glucose-fructose syrup in the private-label food products.
The Group does not allow ionised ingredients in its private-label food products.
Other
From 1997, the Group committed to ensuring that its private-label products marketed by its banners in France (Casino, Monoprix, Franprix) are free from Genetically Modified Organisms.