Santander has become the first Spanish company to receive AENOR certification for quality in its corporate catering services

• In order to obtain this certification, aspects such as facilities, cleaning, disinfection, waste management and good handling practices were considered.
  

14 February 2023 Banco Santander is the first company in Spain to receive the'AENOR Catering Services' mark,recognising the food safety of its corporate catering services. To achieve this recognition, AENOR audited the catering services, facilities and good handling practices in the Bank's group catering facilities, which are used daily by some 5,500 professionals.

Belén Sánchez Miguel, Director of General Services and Corporate Insurance, pointed out that "this certification is recognition of the work the bank has been doing for years to offer its professionals the best service, taking into account quality and safety as well as healthy and sustainable food as key priorities."

For his part, Javier Mejía, Director of Marketing and Business Development at AENOR, states that "quality and safety in food is an issue on which society demands confidence through verifiable facts. Santander is an example of commitment to good practice in many areas, including with its people, as demonstrated by this AENOR certification for its Catering Services."

Specifically, AENOR accredits that the bank's corporate catering services - including kitchens, stores, restaurants and vending machines - offer optimum nutritional quality, service quality and operational control. This certification extends to the buildings Alhambra, Castellana 24, Mauricio Legendre, Santa Bárbara and other Santander Group City buildings, including its nursery.

During the audit process, the entity's catering services have been subject to a control plan in which the following have been reviewed: design and condition of facilities; good handling practices, control of suppliers, control of transport and distribution; cleaning and disinfection; pest control; maintenance of facilities and equipment; training of food handlers; waste management; traceability; analytical control; and compliance with current legislation and HACCP records (systems that identify, assess and control significant hazards to food safety).

Example of Innovation

As part of a process of innovation and care for the quality of catering services, Santander was a pioneer with the installation of a food processing plant in the Santander Group City, in Boadilla del Monte.

This centre, which is equipped with all the machinery and infrastructure required to process the fruit and vegetables received daily, enables the bank: to support the local economy and boost the primary sector; to promote the consumption of seasonal fruit and vegetables; and to reduce the environmental impact by reducing emissions and the environmental footprint of the Corporate Centre. Today, between 3450 kg of fruit and vegetables are handled daily and used to serve an average of 5,500 meals, including in the canteens of the Financial City and Alhambra.

Santander has also become the first financial institution to receive AENOR's 'Zero Waste' certification, which guarantees that, at its facilities in Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, where more than 8,000 employees work, more than 95% of waste is reintroduced into the value chain.