We define the term “local” as within a country. We therefore check whether all components of a product are sourced from the country of manufacture. In addition to the components and ingredients, we also check whether the employees are employed locally and whether the company pays its taxes on profits in the country of production.

Unfortunately, packaging is not yet part of the test. We cannot guarantee that our rules are adhered to by all parties involved throughout the entire sales process. After all, it’s not the sellers who are certified by us – it’s currently the manufacturers. Nevertheless, we are working on a solution to include packaging in our program in the future.

Yes, every test report is completely transparent and can be accessed online. You will find our label including a QR code on every product. If you scan this, you will be taken directly to the relevant test report. Here you will find an overview of all tested products.

For each labeled product, there is a detailed annual audit in which all tax documents and the associated manufacturing processes are examined for their plausibility with regard to regional production. Each supply chain is traced back to its origin and it is ensured that all components of the product come from the same country. In addition, there is a personal factory visit at least once a year. This allows us to check whether the documented figures correspond to reality. For companies with many different production sites, the number of local inspections per year can be significantly higher. The result of each individual inspection is then documented online and can be accessed via the QR code of our label on the corresponding product.

All participating companies with a pro local label are obliged to notify us as soon as they make a change to their production chain. If we discover during an audit that our requirements have not been met, we will report this immediately. The affected product is then no longer entitled to bear our label. In this case, the test report is also updated and the information is available to everyone.

As our main tests take place annually, a product receives the pro local label for a limited period of one year. After a new inspection, the validity is extended for a further year. In addition to the main audit, we visit the production facilities at least once a year and ensure on site that the implementation is in accordance with the production specifications. If we detect a breach of regulations during an audit, the validity of our label expires with immediate effect.

We apply the following criteria to the production of animal products such as milk, eggs, cheese and meat products: The birth, rearing and utilization of an animal must take place within one country. The animal must therefore spend its entire life within the country and may not be taken abroad for certain periods of time.

We are currently working on this. Tracing the ingredients of animal feed currently exceeds our testing capacities. Our solution approach is to certify as many regional suppliers of animal feed as possible in order to ensure local production along the entire value chain.