Rewe Group faces history of retail and supply chain scandals

The Rewe Group, a major German food retailer, has faced several significant crises and scandals over the years. These incidents have ranged from direct corporate errors to issues where the company acted as a middleman for supplier mistakes.

A notable event occurred in 2013 during the European horsemeat scandal, which impacted both Rewe and its discount subsidiary, Penny. Stiftung Warentest discovered horse DNA in ready-made lasagnas that were labeled as containing beef. While the health risks were considered minimal, the incident caused significant consumer distrust and served as a major lesson in private label liability, as customers held the retailer responsible for the mislabeling despite the errors originating with suppliers.

Other challenges mentioned include fines from the cartel office and disturbing imagery from sausage production facilities.