In June 2022, following discussions with the Independent Reviewer, all signatories to the Food and Grocery Code agreed to allow their Code Arbiters to engage in informal discussions with any supplier that may be experiencing bad behaviour or inappropriate conduct from the signatories’ team members.
The Code Arbiters will maintain any such report as confidential, but may use the information (aggregated and de-identified) to provide the Code signatories with early warning of negative trends and behaviours within their organisations.
Prior to this commitment, the Code Arbiters were only able to consider formal written complaints in accordance with the Food and Grocery Code.
The Code signatory CEOs have written to the Independent Reviewer in support of the new arrangements.