DM Austria signs contract with Demeter

Consumers can now find around 1,650 organic products in the Austrian branches of the drugstore chain DM. And the range is set to grow further. Last year, the organic share of the food assortment increased by more than 30 per cent, the company reports.

The share of Demeter products had also "increased significantly" compared to the previous year. This applies to branded products with the orange Demeter seal as well as to products of the own brand "dmBio", which carry the seal "biodynamically certified by Demeter" developed for private labels. DM did not provide concrete figures or information on turnover with organic products.

"biodynamically certified by Demeter"

The seal "biodynamically certified by Demeter" is used for private labels - such as "dmBio". According to the association, the products meet the same criteria for production and processing as the goods labelled with the orange Demeter logo.

The drugstore chain has been working on expanding its Demeter range for years. "Fortunately, we have recently been able to intensify our cooperation with Demeter, which is accompanied by the highest quality standards," says Brigitte Mayr, DM assortment manager for health and nutrition.

This refers to the conclusion of a brand maintenance agreement, which obliges DM to comply with the distribution principles of Demeter Austria issued in 2019. After a transitional period of two years, the contract had to be signed - otherwise DM would no longer have been allowed to trade Demeter products in Austria, Demeter Austria explained to BioHandel magazine.

In Germany, the drugstore chain has been a member of Demeter since 2017 and is thus automatically bound to the sales principles of the organic growers' association.