Better Health for All

In July 2022, Dairy Crest was fined £1.52 million for environmental offences at its Davidstow Creamery

, including leaking part-treated effluent, biocide pollution, and foul odours affecting local residents . These incidents represent significant health-harming externalities with ongoing community impacts. The company's core business of dairy product manufacturing does not involve health-related products requiring price accessibility or vulnerable population reach considerations. Similarly, its operations do not involve pharmaceutical patents, products with addiction potential, or human clinical trials, rendering these KPIs not applicable.

Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

As a dairy company, Dairy Crest Group plc does not offer consumer lending, deposit, or other financial services. Consequently, KPIs such as underserved_client_share, pricing_fairness, exploitative_fee_exposure, data_accessibility, fair_lending_compliance, wealth_building_outcome, debt_burden_ratio, geographic_inclusion, and product_simplicity are not applicable and score 0 according to the rubric's definitions for non-financial entities. The company engaged in the Prince's Dairy Initiative, providing workshops and assistance to 216 small and medium-sized dairy farms.

but this does not constitute a 'loan/insurance book' for the inclusion_initiatives KPI, nor does it provide 'financial literacy' education as defined by that KPI. While Dairy Crest implemented milk price floors and increased milk prices for farmers, , these actions do not directly align with the specific quantitative metrics of the financial services-focused KPIs. No percentage of profit reinvested in community finance was provided for the profit_reinvestment KPI. A 2007 fine for price-fixing relates to general anti-competitive practices, not fair lending.

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

No specific quantitative evidence was provided in the articles to assess Dairy Crest Group plc against the defined KPIs for Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing. Information regarding fair-trade certification share, audit frequency, substantiated forced/child labour incidents, traceability coverage, remediation speed, ethical clause coverage, materials risk index, or supplier diversity spend was not explicitly stated with the required numerical data points. While some articles mention ethical policies

, supplier engagement , and due diligence efforts , these are not quantifiable outcomes that align with the rubric's specific thresholds.

Honest & Fair Business

Dairy Crest Group plc was fined £1.5 million in March 2023 for discharging chemicals into the maritime environment near the Inny River.

As of July 2023, the company is not actively tracking sustainability actions, commitments, evidence, or certifications, indicating a lack of specific public disclosure in this area. However, as part of Saputo Dairy UK, the company states a commitment to ethical business practices based on strong corporate values, aiming for high levels of independence, disclosure, and transparency, and guiding employee conduct through a Code of Ethics.

Kind to Animals

Dairy Crest's milk suppliers adhered to the National Dairy Farm Assured Scheme, which follows the Farm Animal Welfare Council's 'Five Freedoms'.

The company also partnered in 2014 to develop sensor technology aimed at improving dairy cow health and welfare. This project focused on integrating data and farm systems to monitor animal behavior, enabling early detection and management of health issues such as fertility problems, lameness, and mastitis.

No War, No Weapons

Dairy Crest Group plc, a company focused on dairy products, has no known connections to military activities and does not engage in military supply chains or arms manufacturing.

This indicates that the company has no revenue from arms or defense contracts, no dual-use technology, no sales to embargoed regimes, and no exposure to controversial weapons. Its core business operations do not involve defense, military, or conflict-related activities, rendering many related KPIs not applicable.

Planet-Friendly Business

Dairy Crest Group plc (now Saputo Dairy UK) has a history of severe environmental compliance violations. Between 2016 and 2022, the company was fined £1.52 million for 21 pollution and odor-related charges, pleading guilty to these offences.

These incidents included releasing harmful biocide into the River Inny, killing thousands of fish over a two-kilometer stretch in 2016, and coating a five-kilometer stretch of the river with noxious black sludge in 2018. The company consistently exceeded limits on substances discharged into the River Inny from 2016 up to 2021 and failed to notify the Environment Agency on seven separate occasions about significant issues. Additionally, several permit violations were recorded between 2022 and 2023, with ongoing investigations for further offences. In terms of environmental performance, by 2020, the company diverted 92% of its operational waste from landfills. In 2017, 40% of its energy consumption was sourced from a biomass-fired boiler.

Respect for Cultures & Communities

No specific evidence was found in the provided articles that directly addresses the quantitative thresholds for any of the KPIs under the 'Respect for Cultures & Communities' ethical value. While the company has engaged in general community support, such as supporting over 124 local causes

and partnering with the Prince's Countryside Fund to support rural communities , these actions do not provide the specific data points required by the rubric, such as percentages of revenue reinvested, numbers of formal partnerships with indigenous or local community groups, or details on cultural impact assessments or grievance mechanisms. Information regarding cultural appropriation incidents, local employment ratios, or specific cultural preservation investments is also absent.

Safe & Smart Tech

Dairy Crest Group plc has privacy policies that cover data collection and usage through its websites, detailing processing purposes and individual rights

. There are no documented incidents of unauthorized data use . The company has minimal engagement in data-intensive activities and does not engage in advanced technological initiatives related to 'Safe & Smart Tech.' . No specific, quantifiable evidence is provided for other KPIs.

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

Saputo Dairy UK was fined £1.52 million in 2022 for breaching pollution regulations at its Davidstow creamery.

The company reported a waste diversion rate of 50% in FY2020. Dairy Crest has implemented numerous waste reduction initiatives, including eliminating cover papers from several spread brands, introducing recyclable packaging for Cathedral City cheese, developing milk bottles with less plastic and recycled content, and joining the 'Working on Waste' campaign. These efforts have been recognized with a Sustainable Supply Chain Award and a Marketplace Sustainability Leadership Award. The company has set several company-wide waste reduction targets for 2025, aiming to increase the diversion rate to 75%, reduce total waste by 25%, cut food waste by 50%, reduce material use by 15%, and ensure 100% of packaging is reusable, recyclable, or compostable. Basic disposal information is provided to customers through printed messages on existing cover papers for specific products.