Quality and environment

The consistently high quality of all Bergader cheese specialties is an important element of our corporate philosophy. To achieve our own quality goals and provide evidence to our customers, Bergader’s quality policy is based on several pillars: We constantly enhance our quality management system (according to QMS ISO 9001:2000) and implement the requirements of the food standards IFS and BRC. Moreover, the cheese dairy has introduced the EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS), assuming responsibility for environmental protection in its home region.

Milk quality

Good milk is a prerequisite for good cheese. That’s why Bergader fosters close and long-term relationships with its milk suppliers. Our cheese is made solely from milk supplied by the company’s contract farmers – some 1,500 farms in the Bavarian Alpine Foreland and the Austrian Innviertel.

Our milk vans visit most farms on a daily basis to collect the milk. Our farm counsellors are in close contact with farmers, informing them about hygiene or feeding measures or discussing improvement options if required. The result is a proven record of above-average milk quality:

More than 99 percent of all Bergader milk suppliers are awarded quality grade S or I when they undergo the mandatory milk quality controls. These are the highest possible scores for milk. Such top results can only be reached if the hygiene conditions of milk production are ideal and the dairy cows are fed a balanced diet.

Quality management system

As early as 1994, a comprehensive quality management system was implemented and certified according to the newly developed norm DIN EN ISO 9001:1994. This system was introduced to make all processes more structured and systematic and to support the continuous improvement process in the company. Bergader was the first German cheese dairy to establish this comprehensive control system of the entire production process. In July 2004, the company was also certified according to the revised version of DIN EN ISO 9001:2000. To this day, all corporate processes fulfil the requirements of the quality management system. It comprises measures beyond the "mere" control of laboratory parameters, rendering all important processes more systematic and thus improving the safety and quality of Bergader’s cheese products.

Food standards

By fulfilling the IFS (International Food Standard) and BRC (British Retail Consortium) food standards, Bergader shows its national and international business partners that it lives up to the highest safety and diligence levels during the entire production process. The various measures required by the food standards are taken in all divisions – from the executive board to product development, purchase and sales, control of raw materials, intermediate goods and final products in production, equipment maintenance, distribution and customer service.

Environmental management system

At Bergader, product quality and environmental protection are closely linked. As early as the mid-1980s, the company started to promote environmental protection. Unspoiled nature and the stunningly beautiful scenery of the Bavarian Alpine Foreland are the trademarks of Waging am See, where Bergader is headquartered. As the region’s largest employer, Bergader assumes its responsibility to preserve this natural heritage. By voluntarily implementing the EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS), Bergader has set itself ambitious goals. The regulation comprises an evaluation system and improvement requirements for corporate environmental protection.

Bergader has thus committed itself to implementing environmental protection measures that exceed legal requirements. All processes are inspected: both the internal processes and the relations to suppliers and food retailers. The aim is to minimise the use of natural resources, such as energy and water. The reduction of waste is another important goal: Thanks to our diligent purchase policy and the strict separation of material waste and reusable waste, our cheese dairy needs no more than a 240-litre residual waste container, which is emptied once a fortnight only. This corresponds to the amount of waste an average family household produces.

Certificates