Product quality We promise consumers consistently high quality.

Storck brands are bought in many countries all over the world. They stand for treating yourself and for enjoying life. The excellent quality, and the fact that consumers know that Storck confectionery will give them pleasure, generate confidence. We are proud of that – and we always do our best to ensure that this confidence is justified.

Our food safety and quality principles

Giving people joy: This is the philosophy behind Storck products. It requires the highest food safety and product quality. A whole system of measures in all areas of the procurement, production and logistics chain stands for a strict focus towards quality. Our quality management system follows strict principles and guarantees the highest safety and quality of our products.

The purchase of high-quality raw materials according to defined specifications, own certified production sites, strict standards and own laboratories for testing all raw materials, intermediate steps and finished goods, as well as highly qualified employees, are the pillars of our management system and ensure that risks are recognized at an early stage and preferably eliminated with appropriate measures.

The comprehensive food safety and quality consciousness exists in all company divisions and is based on the following principles:

careful product development in consideration of all relevant statutory requirements
selected, high-quality raw materials and health-friendly packaging materials
state-of-the-art manufacturing processes and modern production facilities that guarantee a high level of product safety
risk analyzes according to the legally prescribed HACCP concept
consistent adherence to the rules on "Good Manufacturing Practices" (GMP)
effective employee qualifications
traceable, clearly structured processes
regular checks and certifications to ensure compliance and implementation of all defined quality requirements
close information exchange with external experts and independent investigative bodies
full functionality of our tracking system
extensive testing strategies and analysis techniques
logistic guidelines guaranteeing the freshness of our products
an appropriate and meaningful internal as well as external communication structure

Interview

Roger Wedekind – Head of the Food Law department

Good raw materials, international certification standards and a tight control system: Roger Wedekind talks about Storck's demanding product quality standards.

Why is the quality of Storck products so high?

Good taste and especially freshness are typical for all Storck brands. To guarantee this freshness, we have developed innovative technical packaging optimisation solutions. We also determine a precisely calculated and checked best-before date that helps us to guarantee freshness. Any proposed changes to best-before dates are subject to stringent tests to make sure that these have no negative impact on taste, colour, consistency or nutritional value. We always focus particularly on the products that contain vitamins, such as nimm2. Vitamins are an especially sensitive ingredient, after all.

How does this affect the raw material handling?

We carefully select and strictly monitor our suppliers and wholesalers; some of the supplying factories are only approved after intensive checks. We have to be this strict in order to guarantee a consistently high quality, as even only slight variations in taste and raw material composition affect our products. The frequency of the respective controls depends on the sensitivity of the ingredients concerned. Current events also influence the types of control implemented, for example when there are reports of damaged crops in producing countries. We at Storck follow the fundamental principle that we want to positively influence the product at each stage of the process, and we do so.

Could you cite an example?

Cocoa beans, for instance: the beans for our chocolate are purchased as a raw material, however, we then process the product itself further in-house, for example by roasting the beans ourselves. This way, the great flavour they develop after roasting is not lost during transport, and we can produce it to the degree that is exactly right for us. The same thing applies to our chocolate mass, which we again make ourselves. It's often a matter of fine nuances. "Made in-house" is a key element of our recipe for success. It allows us to retain full control over how our recipes are realised. This allows us to guarantee our very special and extremely high quality.

Do you implement quality control procedures for raw materials and finished goods?

Regular controls and certifications mean that our work is auditable. Numerous audits ensure compliance with the legal requirements. However, we go even further and take part in voluntary certification schemes. We therefore meet additional, strict and self-imposed sourcing policy criteria as regards palm oil sustainability, for example.

What are the biggest future goals and challenges?

Consumer behaviour changes all the time, and it is an exciting challenge to meet all consumer expectations. In this respect, we want to follow an authentic path that is in line with Storck's philosophy.

Core messsage

Our product guarantee is no empty promise.
The trust consumers place in us is our motivation.

Certifications & Awards

IFS Food

IFS Food (International Featured Standards): globally recognised auditing standard for food producers, and an important safety and quality indicator.

FSSC22000

FSSC22000 (Food Safety System Certification 22000): important quality indicator of food safety in global production chains.

SA8000

SA8000: international social accountability standard for socially equitable and fair working conditions and health and safety in the workplace.

In addition to these, Storck also has a certain number of its products tested voluntarily by the experts from the German Agricultural Society (DLG). In 2019, Storck won again the DLG award for consistent product quality maintained over a number of years. The assessment process for this award entails the food being tested by expert committees who are not aware of the manufacturer, the brand or the price.