Vitux Group AS (Vitux) is not only committed to producing first-class nutritional supplements. We are also committed to conducting our business in a way that best cares for our planet and its inhabitants.
We operate along the entire value chain, from raw material procurement to production and distribution of nutritional supplements, which gives us a unique insight and opportunity to implement sustainable practices in all our operations.
Sustainability has long been on our agenda, and we therefore aim to integrate sustainability into all our work processes. A common understanding of basic ethical principles is crucial to creating the culture we want at Vitux. These principles are not only for our internal function, but are an expression of what our employees, business partners and society expect from us.
Vitux uses many raw materials in its products and is dependent on various suppliers both within and outside Norway. A key aspect of our commitment is to ensure that our suppliers comply with the same standards that Vitux requires from its own operations.
We consciously choose raw materials and packaging produced in a sustainable way. As a customer, you can be sure that our products are produced with the greatest consideration for people, animals, and the environment, as well as safety for consumption. With the principles set out in the Transparency Act, our efforts to secure raw materials from suppliers who take basic human rights and decent working conditions seriously will be further intensified.
The Transparency Act and due diligence assessment
The Transparency Act, which came into force on July 1. 2022, requires increased openness and transparency in our operations and the wider impact of our business.
The law is aimed at reducing the risk of companies causing or contributing to violations of human rights. It emphasizes the need to ensure decent working conditions with our suppliers, as well as within our own operations.
The law requires companies to carry out due diligence assessments to understand the risk of possible breaches, and to take measures where necessary. This also means that the companies have a duty to inform about the basis and results of these assessments.
It is of great importance to Vitux to make sure that both our own business and the practices of our suppliers do not come at the expense of basic human rights and decent working conditions. This means that Vitux carries out due diligence assessments of both its own and its suppliers’ operations.
Different parts of our organization are involved in carrying out due diligence assessments. Our procurement team has primary responsibility for our suppliers, but other functions also perform due diligence assessments in connection with various business decisions.
We have developed a process for how Vitux will carry out due diligence assessments. This method means that our suppliers will be selected based on which countries they operate in and the size of the purchases we make from them. The criteria for selecting suppliers are under ongoing assessment and updating, regarding any new issues related to human rights and working conditions.
Usually, due diligence assessments will be repeated annually, or in the event of significant changes. A recently carried out assessment revealed that one supplier has not provided satisfactory information. We take this matter seriously and will follow up closely to ensure that our ethical and sustainable standards are maintained.
Conclusion
Through our extensive due diligence assessments, we have identified that one of our suppliers has not provided satisfactory information in accordance with our ethical and sustainable standards. This discovery underscores the importance of our ongoing efforts to ensure that our operations and supply chain respect basic human rights and promote decent working conditions.
In line with our commitment to transparency, and in accordance with the Transparency Act, we take this matter seriously. We have already initiated dialogue with the supplier to resolve the problem. Where necessary, we will not hesitate to reassess our relationship with any supplier who does not meet our ethical requirements.
Going forward, Vitux will continue to strengthen our due diligence assessment processes, by updating our risk models and tools as necessary. Our goal is to ensure that our entire value chain supports sustainable and ethical business practices. We are grateful for our customers’ trust, and we are dedicated to maintaining that trust by ensuring that our products are produced in a responsible and sustainable manner.
Oslo, June 30, 2023
Vitux Group AS