Corporate social responsibility

We invest in improving the quality of life of the society we operate in, and providing support to projects that share our true values. We are focused on a healthy, balanced and sustainable diet through the development of new and innovative products.

Podravka is basically oriented towards the production of high quality and sanitary valid products based on good production practice and the principles of quality and food safety management.

Owing to long-year trust of our consumers, we have become a food brand no. 1 and have positioned ourselves as a significant participant in the pharmaceutical products market, not only in Croatia, but in numerous other countries of SouthEast Europe. So, together with our consumers, we respect the tradition and its values, and combined with latest creative methods and technological achievements we set standards and create latest market trends.

Podravka is basically oriented towards the production of high quality and sanitary valid products based on good production practice and the principles of quality and food safety management. As food quality and safety significantly overlap in consumer perception, we are dedicated to ensuring its highest level, from procuring the finest raw materials, to distribution of finished product to the consumer. It is completely based on norms, regulations and principles, compliant to Podravka Quality Managemeny System and Food Safety Management System, as well as continuous professional education of our employees. High quality is our constant, and in the creation of our products we dedicate special attention to simple preparation and consumption, practically and contribution to consumer health.

In the course of future business, with pleasure we will continue to fulfill the desires and needs of our consumers, in more than 40 countries around the world, because their trust is Podravka's quality!

Nutritional strategy

Podravka’s Nutritional strategy is our guide in developing new and revitalising existing product recipes, in order to ensure a high quality, delicious product with adequate nutritional value for any occasion.

With its nutritional strategy for the period up to 2027, Podravka has reaffirmed its dedication to a healthy, balanced and sustainable diet through the development of new and innovated products. The nutritional strategy is our guide in developing new and updating existing product recipes in order to be able to offer you healthy, high-quality products of adequate nutritional value and excellent taste for any occasion.

Podravka’s new nutritional strategy adopted for the period up to 2027 shows its continuing dedication to caring about the health of its consumers and retaining their trust. In this way, Podravka has confirmed its commitment to social responsibility and its focus on a healthy, balanced, high-quality and sustainable diet through the development of new and innovated products. The company will continue to adapt and expand its wide range of products in line with health recommendations, nutrition trends, as well as the needs and preferences of its customers. This includes products with less salt and added sugars, enriched with fibres, protein, vitamins and minerals, as well as products based on fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, plant protein sources and similar.

The main goals that Podravka plans to achieve with its nutritional strategy by 2027 are:

reducing the average salt and sugar content by 20% in 75% of our new and innovated products compared to the current average content
incorporating at least one ingredient that supports a healthy and balanced diet, e.g. fibres, protein, vitamins and minerals, in 75% of our new and innovated products
basing at least 40% of our new and innovated products on ingredients associated with sustainable diets, like fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, plant protein sources, etc.
supporting a sustainable diet with 100% of our portfolio

In this way, Podravka continues to focus on consumer care, as it has done from the very beginning. Podravka has been present in many homes for 75 years. From then until the present, our goal has always been to produce high-quality food of controlled origin that is quick and easy to prepare. For us, Podravka’s motto – Always with heart - has meant nurturing the closest possible ties with our consumers.

A strong focus on a sustainable diet which is nutritionally adequate (promotes personal health and well-being), has little impact on the environment during production and consumption, is accessible and culturally acceptable, is now more important than ever, as shown by the research conducted by Podravka in cooperation with the Ipsos Agency.

The research has shown that 36% of Croatian citizens have some healthy eating habits, the most prominent being avoiding fast food (37%), salty foods (22%) and fattening foods (21%). At the same time, 47% of citizens admit that they have some unhealthy eating habits, with insufficient intake of fruits and vegetables (40%) and enjoying not-so-healthy foods (36%) taking the lead.

Most people don’t pay attention to their salt and sugar intake. Only 36% of citizens control their salt intake, while 44% of citizens pay attention to sugar intake levels. Moreover, only 5% of citizens over the age of 16 are familiar with the daily salt intake recommendations, i.e. up to 5 g according to the World Health Organization. The recommended daily sugar intake is 25-50 grams; however, only 2% of citizens are familiar with this recommendation. Additionally, most citizens do not read food labels to learn more about the ingredients, with only 31% of the respondents reporting that they read the nutrition declarations.

In view of the results of our research, we are focusing on preserving the health and contributing to changing poor dietary habits of our consumers and their families, and this is why we developed the Podravka nutritional strategy, undertaking the following commitments:

reducing the content of saturated and trans-fatty acids, salts (sodium) and sugars in our products,
optimizing products by incorporating nutrients that ensure better health,
in the development of new products, focusing on children, the elderly, consumers with special dietary requirements, supporting the health of the digestive system, supporting achieving and maintaining healthy body weight and healthy lifestyles, providing consumers with accurate and important information about our products via packaging and promotional activities,
educating and indicating the importance of nutritional value of meals and portion sizes.

Since 2014, when the company adopted its first nutritional strategy, Podravka has reduced the amount of salt and sugar in its products by 300 tonnes and 1432 tonnes in total, respectively. The biggest salt reductions involved soups, bouillon cubes, Fant, and meat products. The most significant sugar reductions have been achieved in baby food, breakfast cereals and fruit spreads.

In addition to adapting the existing product recipes in such a way that our products retain their recognizable and consumer-favorite flavors, we have also developed new products that support a balanced diet or meet individual lifestyle needs. We have enriched our offer with a number of new products without additives, artificial flavour enhancers and colours, products that provide specific benefits, such as gluten-free products and products enhanced with extra nutrients, like protein, vitamins, minerals, fibres, and similar.

In addition to reducing its overall use of palm oil, Podravka only uses RSPO Certified sustainable palm oil. The company has also launched BIO, vegetarian and vegan product lines.

Consumers

In recognising our responsibility in producing healthier food for consumers by raising the nutritional quality of our products, in the past period we have invested significant efforts to reduce salt, sugar, saturated fats and trans-fats in different product categories in the Podravka portfolio. The development and innovation of the product line is primarily focused on products with a reduced share of “critical” ingredients, products without additives, flavour enhancers or colouring, and the enrichment of products with protein, vitamins, minerals and fibre. We have placed an emphasis on the use of whole grain cereals, developing products within the use of palm fat or using only RSPO palm fats, development of the BIO product segment, products for vegetarians and vegans, and gluten-free products.

Strategic goals associated with a healthy diet are:

Increasing the number of products with reduced content of salt, added sugars, and saturated fats per serving

By the end 2027, 75% of new and innovated products will contain an average salt and sugar content that is 20% the current average content

Increasing the number of products that contain positive ingredients and/or support a healthy, balanced and sustainable diet

By the end of 2027:

75% of new and innovated products will include at least one ingredient that supports a healthy and balanced diet, such as fibre, proteins, vitamins and minerals
At least 40% of new and innovated products will be based on ingredients associated with a sustainable diet, such as fruit, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, plant sources of protein, etc.
100% of products will support a sustainable diet

Care for our employees

Employees of the Podravka Group are our greatest value, and thanks to the excellent results in attracting and recruiting talent, and developing, inspiring, motivating and rewarding employees, Podravka is the bearer of the prestigious certificate Employer Partner.

Strategic goals concerning care for our employees, their rights and working conditions are:

Gender equality and a smaller pay gap

Share of women in management at about 50% (ideally keep within the range 45–50%) by 2030
Share of women in positions requiring university qualifications kept at 50% or higher by 2030
Share of women in Podravka d.d. of about 50% (ideally keep within the range 45–50%) by 2030
Pay gap between the sexes should not exceed 0–3%

Improving material rights and working conditions

By the end of 2024, introduce a new system of salaries and rewards based on worker performance
Ongoing improvements to the material rights of workers
Ongoing improvements to the health care of workers, particularly care for young parents
Introduce the MAMFORCE standard by the end of 2024

Introducing quality systems

Implementation of the standard ISO 26000 – Guidelines for corporate social responsibility – by the end of 2024

Development of skills and competencies

Supply chain

In abiding by the high standards of quality of input raw and other materials and the required level of technical and technological equipment of approved suppliers, the Podravka Group operates with growers, primary producers, small crafts, family farms, veterans’ associations, sub-contractors, distributors, wholesalers and large multinational companies.

In order to ensure that our procurement processes and to increase the efficacy of the procurement function, we use the sophisticated tool eNabave (e-Procurement).

Creating partnership relationships with key suppliers is one of the main goals of the supply chain. We place the focus on local suppliers and suppliers with which we nurture partnership relations. About 60% of the suppliers we work with are local suppliers.

We demand that our suppliers respect the same values that are important to us.

The strategic goal associated with suppliers is:

Evaluating suppliers according to sustainability criteria

By 2025, 100% of suppliers will have accepted and signed the document “Rules of conduct for suppliers”