Why It Matters
Canadian families rely on us for food, pharmacy and other products to stay healthy and strong, so it’s our responsibility to ensure everything in our stores is safe and of high quality.
Our Approach
We partner with suppliers and manufacturers and work closely with regulators and industry oversight bodies to ensure we are meeting the highest standards and continuously improving our approach.
Partners in Maintaining High Standards
Our Own Brands food supplier sites are audited annually to a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) standard, ensuring that they have programs and procedures in place for quality and food safety. Of active Own Brands suppliers, 100% are GSFI certified.
Education for Teammates & Partners
We have a robust teammate education program focused on product quality and safety, including food safety training delivered as part of onboarding new teammates and annual training for existing teammates. All store operators and managers complete food handling certifications and are required to be recertified every five years. Consistent with Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) standards, our suppliers are also required to ensure all their employees are properly trained.
Robust Auditing Program
Our corporate and franchise grocery stores, warehouses and customer fulfillment centres participate in a rigorous, semi-annual audit process. These sites are audited twice each year against industry standards, internal food safety protocols and public health standards. Results drive the continuous improvement of our internal food safety programs. In fiscal 2025, we performed ordinary course warehouse and cross-dock audits, as well as thousands of food safety inspections at grocery stores
Our company has developed policies and procedures based on industry best practices, as well as a risk-based technical audit form to ensure effective implementation and maintenance of food safety programs. Any issues identified during these audits are corrected by the site. Corrective and preventive actions are implemented by site teams to avoid recurrence, and this process is monitored and approved by our internal food safety management team.
Over the past two years, retail support centre-related inspection processes have been benchmarked against industry best practices. As a result, we have updated our inspection standard operating procedures to align with these practices. All teams across Canada have been trained on the changes made to these procedures, and we conduct annual audits to assess inspectors’ knowledge and competencies.
Working with Supplier Partners
We require new suppliers to share their food safety checklists and certifications. As part of our quality assurance program, suppliers agree to cooperate with site audits and product testing. We also require suppliers to comply if any additional testing or product recalls are required. All Own Brands suppliers are required to hold GSFI certification and be annually certified by third-party auditors.
Unwavering Focus on Quality Control
Own Brands products are tested by a third-party laboratory to ensure that they continue to meet product specifications. Teammates analyze data to identify and assess risk, allowing us to proactively address potential food safety issues. This is a closed-loop process in which all Own Brands food safety complaints and concerns are logged and investigated as necessary. We work closely with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to address consumer complaints and product investigations.
Driving Continuous Improvement
To continuously improve, we track and monitor regulatory inquiries from government bodies. Our teams engage with locations as soon as an information request is received. We have a fully closed system, which includes launching an investigation, communicating with stakeholders to address matters and engaging with all levels of government to ensure issues are dealt with appropriately.
We invest in ongoing product quality and safety accreditation and training for our teammates and facilities, and we work hard to ensure suppliers also meet the same high standards. When we partner to develop a new Own Brands offering, product and supplier performance are continually evaluated, from development to launch and beyond.
Looking ahead, we will set new targets and priorities that will continue to ensure and enhance quality and safety for Own Brands products. We are also exploring and testing innovative tools and technologies to enhance our ability to grade against specifications and identify solutions to reduce waste.
Ensuring Recall Readiness
Consistent with government standards and internal quality standards, we move quickly to investigate and implement recalls as necessary when food safety and quality issues are identified. We perform an annual mock recall to ensure that our systems work effectively. Recall effectiveness is continuously monitored to ensure consistent recall execution across all banner stores. Additionally, all Own Brands suppliers must conduct mock recall exercises on a regular basis and will support recall initiatives when necessary.
Sharing Best Practices
Learning and sharing from industry best practices is integral to our overarching product quality and safety approach. That is why we believe it is important to be a member of the Retail Council of Canada, I.E. Canada and the Canadian Produce Marketing Association, working with all levels of the supply chain on product safety and quality. We are proud to be a Sustaining Corporate Member of the Ontario Food Protection Association with representation on its Board of Directors. We are also members of the Fruit and Vegetable Dispute Resolution Corporation.
Highlights
International Recognition for Food Safety and Quality
In 2025, Sobeys proudly became the first Canadian company since 1999 to win the prestigious Black Pearl Award. This global honour celebrates our deep-rooted commitment to food safety, sanitation, ethical practices and public health. The award also recognizes our alignment with the International Association for Food Protection’s mission to advance food safety through teammate training, customer education, facility design and regulatory excellence.
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Our commitment to ensure product quality and safety supports our focus on customer wellness and experience.
As a family nurturing families, we want to ensure Canadians are taken care of today, tomorrow, and in the future. By doing OurPartTM for the environment, we hope to inspire our customers to do theirs. Every step we take together—big or small—can make a difference.
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