OUR APPROACH

For Sammontana Italia S.p.A. Benefit Corporation, offering an authentic, enjoyable experience means creating products that respond to new eating styles and consumer needs, with particular attention to those who require specific solutions. This is done in full respect of ethical and sustainability principles, supporting every product with transparent and responsible communication that encourages informed choices.

At the heart of this Common Benefit Objective lies the work of Research and Development: 37 professionals who design the products of tomorrow with close attention to emerging trends, raw material selection, and packaging solutions aimed at reducing environmental impact. The evolution of lifestyles has driven us to develop innovative solutions, including products for people with celiac disease, lactose intolerance, vegetarian and vegan diets, sugar-free options, and lighter alternatives, with the goal of combining enjoyment and responsibility.

Alongside innovation, Quality and Food Safety are absolute priorities. More than 100 people ensure over one million checks each year across the entire supply chain, from raw materials to finished products. These controls are supported by analytical testing, sensory evaluations, and regulatory compliance checks to consistently deliver the highest standards of taste, safety, and transparency.

Different actions, guided by a single vision: creating products that deliver pleasure, respect the environment, ensure safety and quality, and communicate ethically and clearly.

Ongoing work in our laboratories and pilot plants allows us to thoroughly evaluate recipe development and nutritional profiles, as well as the feasibility and scalability of projects at an industrial level. This process extends to packaging studies, aimed at identifying solutions that preserve quality and taste over time. A crucial phase involves assessing how products evolve, monitoring changes in sensory and performance characteristics, and intervening when necessary in recipes or processes to refine development.

For several years, rigorous guidelines have guided research and product design in the gelato, sweet pastry, and pastry categories, with a focus on:

Simplifying formulations, by removing or reducing non-essential ingredients that do not define flavor or structure (clean labels), for example by replacing animal gelatin with plant-based alternatives, artificial flavors and colors with natural ones (a process continuing through 2026), and developing products with clean labels or innovative raw materials such as hemp.

How the products of tomorrow are born: passion, curiosity, and wonder. Evolving lifestyles, new taste trends, emerging markets and distribution channels, and specialized recipes for people with different dietary needs have driven significant investment by Sammontana.

This commitment has led to the development of products suitable for people with celiac disease (such as Mallow ice cream), lactose intolerance (including Amando), vegetarian and vegan diets (Amando, Cornetto Vegan Elixir Guava by Forno d’Asolo, and expanded vegan cake ranges for La Donatella and Bindi), sugar-free products (Cornetto Mielissa, available in both the Tre Marie and Il Pasticcere portfolios, and Tre Marie’s sugar-free bitter orange Cornetto), and lighter options for those seeking balance (Barattolino Yogurt and Mango Sorbet).

Since 1997, Sammontana Italia has aligned its quality system with the requirements of major international standards for hygiene, systems, and organizational processes.

All production facilities are certified to the highest levels of GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) standards, including IFS (International Featured Standards) and BRC (British Retail Consortium).

Several Sammontana gelato and pastry products are certified Gluten-Free by the Italian Celiac Association (AIC). In addition, our products comply with Halal and Kosher certifications.

The creation of Sammontana Italia in 2024 marked a fundamental milestone in the Group’s history, bringing together historic brands and strengthening the commitment to quality products capable of responding to diverse consumer needs within a shared language. The integration process, guided by the principle of common benefit, required extensive organizational alignment and operational consolidation. At the same time, we maintained a cautious communication approach to ensure compliance and transparency.

All our work has been reported annually since 2022 in Sustainability Reports and since 2023 in Impact Reports, in full compliance with applicable regulations.

Sammontana Italia carefully considers the potential negative impacts of marketing practices and the indulgent nature of its products on consumer health and well-being. For this reason, it has adopted an Ethical Marketing Policy based on the values of its Code of Ethics and inspired by national and international regulations.

The policy defines concrete commitments to transparent, accurate, and responsible communication, avoiding misleading messages, promoting balanced dietary principles, and protecting children through non-invasive communication techniques. It applies to all product lines and all forms of written, audio, and visual communication, with the aim of preventing unethical content and fostering clear dialogue with consumers.

The policy is inspired by established standards, including the ICC Code, the Consumer Code, Guidelines from the Authority for the Protection of Children, IAP Regulations, and the Digital Chart.

For Sammontana Italia S.p.A. Benefit Corporation, contributing to community growth and development means acting responsibly toward territories, people, and new generations. This commitment translates into creating opportunities, building lasting relationships, and investing in initiatives that generate shared value.

In pursuing the second Common Benefit Objective, we support projects that foster individual and collective potential, believing that a company’s strength is measured by its ability to connect generations, create spaces for authentic expression, and respond concretely to real and emerging community needs.

This commitment takes shape through initiatives supporting youth entrepreneurship, inclusion, diversity, and the psychological well-being of employees, key drivers in building a more human and inclusive corporate culture.

Many actions, one shared vision: growing together and bringing smiles where they matter most.

Some examples:

As part of the Impact Education Coalition, during the 2024–2025 academic year Sammontana Italia actively contributed to the S.T.E.P. project (Territorial Synergies for the Empowerment of People and Society).

Developed in the Verona area, the project received funding from the “Sinergie” call promoted by Fondazione Cariverona and focused on addressing gender-based violence among younger generations. The project involved two local secondary schools, Giovanni Giorgi Vocational Institute and Guglielmo Marconi Technical Institute, both with a strong STEM focus. These fields traditionally show lower female participation, making Sammontana Italia’s commitment to inclusion in such educational contexts particularly meaningful.

Born as a pilot initiative, S.T.E.P. enabled strong local synergies, in line with the company’s social impact goals and its purpose: The Smile That Nurtures the Future of New Generations.

A smile is never just a smile: it is a moment of freedom, when a child can find strength beyond illness. With this in mind, Sammontana Italia has long supported Dynamo Camp, Italy’s first recreational therapy camp for children and young people with serious or chronic illnesses.
In December 2024, this commitment was renewed during the New Year’s Family Session in Tuscany, involving 130 participants:

• 31 children and young people with neurological conditions and rare syndromes
• 54 parents and caregivers
• 25 siblings
• 20 former Dynamo guests now volunteering

Sammontana Italia helped make this experience possible by supporting Dynamo’s mission: restoring joy, connection, and discovery to those facing illness. Activities such as climbing for the first time, creative workshops, laughter without fear, and feeling welcomed are all part of Dynamo Recreational Therapy®, a structured and scientifically validated approach. For Sammontana, supporting Dynamo Camp means actively participating in a journey of care, trust, and beauty. It goes beyond philanthropy, becoming social responsibility and genuine care for the most vulnerable communities. This partnership is not a one-time event but a growing relationship that reflects the value of intergenerational exchange and the strength born from play, sharing, and lightness.

For Sammontana Italia S.p.A. Benefit Corporation, adopting responsible production and distribution models means turning every industrial decision into an opportunity to generate shared value while reducing environmental impact across the entire supply chain.

From raw material selection to surplus recovery, each action is part of a broader transition toward a circular economy that combines efficiency, innovation, and environmental justice. Concrete projects focus on combating food waste through digital and transparent surplus management, and on raw material sustainability through verified sustainability certifications and initiatives aimed at traceable, fair, and regenerative agricultural supply chains.

Both objectives move in the same direction: doing business while generating a positive, measurable impact on the environment, people, and territories.

A supply chain that nourishes twice. Sammontana Italia and Regusto stand together against food waste. Since 2023, Sammontana has partnered with Regusto, a digital platform that manages food donations transparently, transforming unsold products into shared value. Thanks to blockchain technology, every donation is fully traceable and measurable, generating tangible benefits for people, communities, and the environment.

The 2024 impact speaks for itself: over 53 tons of products donated, equivalent to 106,617 meals, with 22 tons of CO₂ avoided, 28,688 m³ of water saved, and 23,244 m² of land preserved.

This partnership shows that reducing food waste is not about avoiding costs, but about creating value through digital innovation and solidarity.

Sammontana Italia actively manages economic, social, and environmental risks across its entire value chain, from raw material sourcing to finished products. To strengthen resilience and sustainability, the Group prioritizes the purchase of critical raw materials, such as cocoa, coffee, palm oil, cellulose, and wheat, certified by internationally recognized standards including Rainforest Alliance, RSPO, FSC, and ISCC PLUS. These certifications ensure traceability, fair working conditions, and reduced operational, climate, and reputational risks. In line with this commitment, by 2026 the Group will source only cage-free eggs.

To safeguard these commitments, Sammontana Italia adopts the Organizational Model 231 and focuses its policies on four key areas: environmental protection and ecological transition, sustainable supply chain development, responsible innovation, and ESG integration into governance. The goal is clear: reduce emissions, use resources efficiently, promote responsible practices, adopt low-impact technologies, and ensure transparent reporting aligned with international standards.

Sammontana Italia continues its journey to reduce plastic use and environmental impact across its packaging. This includes action upstream, by limiting reliance on fossil-based materials, and downstream, by supporting recycling. Innovative solutions have been introduced, such as trays made from bio-circular plastic certified by RINA under the ISCC PLUS standard, derived from biogenic production waste. Where possible, plastic has been replaced with FSC-certified paper, as with the iconic Barattolino since 2022. These choices reflect the principles of the circular economy, protecting ecosystems while ensuring product safety, quality, and shelf life.

In 2018, in collaboration with the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa, Sammontana launched Lidi Green, an initiative promoting mindful ice cream consumption. Today, in the spirit of transparent communication, the project evolves into Luoghi del Sorriso ("Where the Smile Lives"). Retailer selection remains central. Through a dedicated questionnaire, Sammontana identifies businesses that adopt environmentally–and since 2023, socially—responsible practices. Emission offsetting activities have been discontinued, replaced by a strengthened questionnaire designed as a strategic tool to help retailers engage consumers and encourage virtuous, systemic shifts in purchasing behavior. The goal is to build a network of places that not only offer quality products, but actively promote more responsible consumption models.

The Almond Code is Sammontana’s sustainability program involving every actor in the supply chain. It is built on five pillars: traceability and ISCC PLUS certification with emissions monitoring, biodiversity protection in almond orchards, responsible water management through cradle-to-gate analysis, measurement of material circularity using the Material Circularity Indicator, and economic fairness through transparent contracts. The objective is to combine innovation and responsibility across all production phases, integrating environmental, social, and economic dimensions into a regenerative vision.

To preserve biodiversity, in 2025, Sammontana has launched a concrete project: Oasi Sammontana near Persea in Sardinia, in collaboration with 3Bee, a nature tech company that uses scientific and technological approaches to implement environmental regeneration projects. 

Oasi aims to protect pollinating insects and contribute to the regeneration of biodiversity through the planting of 1,500 nectar-producing plants. These plants, cared for by expert 3Bee cultivators, are expected to produce a potential of 215kg of nectar per year once they reach full maturity, providing refuge and nourishment for numerous wild pollinators.

As a Benefit Corporation, Sammontana Italia believes that positive impact grows through collaboration. By working closely with partners and actively involving the supply chain, the company aims to strengthen sustainability across the entire ecosystem. This commitment takes shape through strategic partnerships, shared growth paths, and the central role of people, turning values into concrete actions that generate lasting change beyond company boundaries.

Since 2022, Sammontana has followed a structured path to make its supply chain increasingly sustainable, grounded in the belief that lasting impact comes from shared responsibility. In 2023, with the support of NATIVA, the company conducted an in-depth supply chain analysis, identifying around 50 strategic partners and co-creating its first Supplier Code of Conduct. The document defines baseline requirements and progressive practices aligned with the company’s materiality analysis, fostering alignment and interdependence.

In 2024, the initiative was strengthened through self-assessment questionnaires and a co-design workshop involving 30 strategic suppliers, focusing on three priority themes: Diversity & Inclusion, circular models, and emissions reduction.

In 2025, Sammontana launched the Decarbon Club, a multistakeholder initiative supported by Spinlife (University of Padua), aimed at reducing Scope 3 emissions and developing a dedicated measurement tool, with the next milestone set for November 2026.

Together with its partners, Sammontana is building a more aware, resilient, and impact-driven supply chain, helping to make sustainability a real driver of competitiveness and innovation

On May 10, 2024, Sammontana Italia launched the Smile Ambassadors: a community of 35 people from across the organization, tasked with spreading sustainability culture and guiding conscious choices.

Their role is active and transversal. Through an experiential workshop, they stepped into the role of Impact Managers, creating the Stories of the Smile, narratives inspired by Sammontana Italia public benefit purpose. Supported by NATIVA and Dynamo Academy, the journey concluded with a shared experience at Dynamo Camp. Today, the Ambassadors are 40, translating vision and values into everyday actions, proof that sustainability is not just a goal, but a way of being, built together over time.

Sammontana Italia’s environmental journey began in 2016 with the signing of a voluntary agreement with the Italian Ministry for the Environment. From there, the company embarked on a structured impact assessment process through Life Cycle Assessments (LCA), starting with the iconic Barattolino, followed by Amando and Sweet Pastry products.

With the transition to a Benefit Corporation, the focus evolved from product-level actions to an organizational strategy built on three ESG-aligned pillars, shifting from isolated interventions to a systemic vision of sustainability across the entire value chain.

In 2024, Sammontana became the first Italian company in its sector to obtain CSQA’s LCA Systematic Approach certification, introducing a verified scientific method to assess product life cycles and reduce environmental impact. In collaboration with Spinlife (University of Padua' spin off), the company developed an internal LCA Management System that identifies emission hotspots, defines improvement strategies, and measures results transparently, laying the groundwork for future decarbonization actions.

In 2021, Sammontana Italia completed its first organizational study in line with the GHG Protocol, establishing a baseline for emissions and paving the way for an integrated decarbonization strategy.

In 2025, the analysis perimeter was expanded, strengthening a continuous monitoring system. Today, Sammontana is committed to evolving its business model toward a zero-emissions economy, aligned with European climate neutrality goals.

After years of LCA and impact studies, Sammontana aligned its decarbonization strategy with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), translating the Paris Agreement into concrete, science-backed targets. This choice strengthens credibility, global transparency, and stakeholder trust, while offering strategic benefits such as ESG alignment, access to an international network of committed companies, and methodological support toward net-zero goals.

Sammontana continues to improve energy efficiency across its production processes. Key actions include the installation of three trigeneration units, covering around 40% of energy needs and significantly reducing CO₂ emissions. Additional targeted interventions (LED lighting, high-efficiency motors, inverter replacement, and optimized compressed air systems) have led to a 29% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions per ton of finished product compared to the 2016 baseline, as reported in Impact Report 2023.

Until 2023, Sammontana Italia offset emissions related to fluorinated gases used in refrigeration by investing in certified projects, such as the Gujarat Fluorochemicals – HFC Thermal Oxidation project in India. In 2023, 100% of Scope 1 and 2 emissions were compensated. Today, the company has chosen a different path: focusing resources on direct reduction actions across the supply chain and on initiatives that enhance and protect local territories.