Organic vegetables free from slaughterhouse by-products
ALDI SUISSE is continuously developing its organic own-brand «retour aux sources», which goes beyond existing organic standards. The vegetables now certified to Switzerland's highest organic standard are guaranteed free from fertilizers derived from slaughterhouse by-products. In this way, the Swiss retailer offers consumers freedom of choice.
From now on, ALDI SUISSE will sell slaughterhouse by-product-free potatoes, pumpkins, beetroot, carrots and onions under its organic own-brand «retour aux sources».
Closed organic cycle and transparency
In organic farming, fertilizers derived from slaughterhouse by-products such as blood meal, feather meal, horn meal and bone meal are used. These typically originate from conventional livestock farming. “Many consumers are unaware that conventional slaughterhouse by-products are being used,” explains Jérôme Meyer, Country Managing Director of ALDI SUISSE. “Together with the farmers, we want to close the organic cycle and promote regional and sustainable food production. We are also creating transparency around vegetable cultivation. This gives our customers the freedom to choose.”
Plant-based fertilizers for improved soil fertility
For the vegetables of the organic own-brand «retour aux sources», ALDI SUISSE relies on biological circular economy practices. To improve soil fertility, producers use, for example, compost, green manure or plant-based organic commercial fertilizers.
About «retour aux sources»
With the organic own-brand «retour aux sources», ALDI SUISSE is setting new benchmarks. The brand takes the stringent guidelines of «Bio Suisse» as its foundation, yet meets even stricter requirements in numerous respects. This makes «retour aux sources» the highest organic standard in Switzerland. The range includes meat, egg and dairy products as well as bread, fruit and vegetables from Switzerland.
The «retour aux sources» vegetables meet, among others, the following requirements:
- Fertilization without slaughterhouse by-products
- At least ten percent of agricultural land designated as biodiversity promotion areas
- Scientific assessment of the sustainability of producing farms
- Bee-friendly farming practices; the insecticide Spinosad is prohibited
Via the «retour aux sources» website, customers can also trace all organic products down to the exact batch. This means they always know which processing companies, packers, and farms their products come from.
