Bahlsen

How ethical is Bahlsen?

Bahlsen is a biscuit brand which has a below-benchmark score on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Biscuits Ratings Table. Although Bahlsen has not yet met our ethical benchmark, we hope to see the brand make progress in the future.

We would have extra confidence in Bahlsen if it applied  for Ethical Accreditation, whereby The Good Shopping Guide would make further detailed assessment and recommendations for ethical improvement. Find out more about the ethical issues facing the Biscuits sector.

What does Bahlsen do?

The German family enterprise Bahlsen is an international sweet biscuit manufacturer. It was founded in July 1889 by Hermann Bahlsen as the “Hannoversche Keksfabrik H. Bahlsen”.

In which areas does Bahlsen perform poorly?

Bahlsen was marked down under our criteria for Palm Oil as its products contain this ingredient (Bahlsen is an RSPO member), and for our Organic and Vegetarian criteria due to a lack of certification. Bahlsen gets a bottom score for its Environmental Report, as its Sustainability page does not contain enough targets or a full report, which we would expect from a company of this size. Find out more about how we rate by exploring our ethical criteria.

Past Criticisms of Bahlsen’s record

We did not find any past criticisms of Bahlsen.

In which areas does Bahlsen score well for its ethics?

We found no criticisms of Bahlsen relating to GM, Nuclear, Fossil Fuels, Animal Welfare, Political Donations or Armaments, so it scores well for these criteria.

How can Bahlsen improve its ethical rating?

The below-benchmark score that Bahlsen is awarded with on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Biscuits Ratings Table is the result of an evaluation of multiple ethical criteria.

To reach our minimum ethical benchmark and qualify for Ethical Accreditation, Bahlsen has some issues to resolve, including its use of palm oil. If it applies for Ethical Accreditation, The Good Shopping Guide will be able to give Bahlsen some guidance on how to improve its score.

Were you aware that your brand could benefit from Ethical Accreditation? Brands accredited by The Good Shopping Guide can display our Ethical Mark, showcasing to consumers that it is an ethical and sustainable brand. If you’re interested in learning more, please contact us or complete a Free Initial Assessment form.