ICA conducts extra quality checks in stores

Over a short period it has been found that three ICA stores have handled meat
minced on their premises incorrectly. Due to these incidents ICA, in addition to
its ongoing extensive quality work, is taking extra action with quality checks
in stores which mince meat on the premises.
Mincing meat places high requirements on correct handling and labelling with
clear routines and trained employees. During the spring, two ICA Supermarkets
and one ICA Nära store have received violation notices from the municipal
environmental and health inspectors regarding how they handle meat in the
stores. Two stores have also been referred for prosecution by the
municipalities.
“Normally ICA stores which mince meat do so in a totally correct manner. But
since over a short period of time we have had three cases where stores have
received violation notices, we have chosen to make an extra effort with checks
in order to ensure compliance with all routines,” says Mats Ovegård, Quality
Manager at ICA Sweden.
Immediately ICA became aware of these incidents, quality audits were performed
in the stores concerned. ICA Sweden also placed its quality coaches in the
stores in order to support the retailers with quality work in the weeks after
these events. The stores have also ceased to mince meat on their premises.

So far, one of these matters has been examined by ICA’s Disciplinary Board which
resulted in a warning to the retailer and continued membership being conditional
on the store being quality certified by an independent certification body. The
other two stores will shortly be examined by the Disciplinary Board.

For more information
ICA press service, telephone number: +46 10 422 52 52

ICA Gruppen AB discloses the information provided herein pursuant to the Swedish
Securities Market Act and/or the Swedish Financial Instruments Trading Act. The
information was submitted for publication at 12:45 CET on Tuesday, 29 April
2014.
ICA Gruppen AB (publ) is one of the Nordic region’s leading retail companies,
with around 2,400 of its own and retailer-owned stores in Sweden, Norway,
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The Group includes the retail companies ICA
Sweden, ICA Norway and Rimi Baltic, ICA Real Estate, which owns and manages
properties and ICA Bank, which offers financial services to Swedish customers.
The Group also includes the wholly owned portfolio companies Forma Publishing
Group and inkClub and partly owned portfolio companies Cervera, Hemtex and Kjell
& Company. For more information see www.icagruppen.se