CA Transparency in SupplyChains Acts

Our Commitment

ChefStead believes that products designed to improve everyday life should be made with respect for the people who help create them.

Our commitment to responsible manufacturing extends beyond materials, performance, and product quality. We expect the people and businesses involved in our supply chain to respect human rights, provide lawful working conditions, and prohibit slavery, forced labor, human trafficking, and other forms of exploitation.

This disclosure describes ChefStead’s current efforts to address these risks in its direct product supply chain.

About the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act

The California Transparency in Supply Chains Act of 2010, California Civil Code Section 1714.43, requires certain manufacturers and retail sellers doing business in California and having annual worldwide gross receipts exceeding $100 million to disclose their efforts to eradicate slavery and human trafficking from their direct supply chains for tangible goods offered for sale.

The Act requires covered companies to disclose the extent of their efforts in five areas:

  1. Supply chain verification

  2. Supplier audits

  3. Supplier certification

  4. Internal accountability

  5. Employee and management training

Whether or not ChefStead is legally subject to the Act at a particular time, we support its purpose and provide this disclosure as part of our commitment to responsible sourcing and greater supply chain transparency.

1. Verification of Product Supply Chains

ChefStead evaluates direct suppliers before and during the business relationship based on factors that may include:

  • Business registration and manufacturing qualifications

  • Production capabilities and facility information

  • Product quality and compliance history

  • Labor and workplace representations

  • Geographic and industry-related supply chain risks

  • Willingness to comply with ChefStead’s supplier standards

  • Responsiveness to requests for documentation or corrective action

ChefStead expects direct suppliers to prohibit:

  • Slavery and human trafficking

  • Forced, bonded, indentured, or involuntary prison labor

  • Recruitment practices involving coercion, deception, or unlawful fees

  • Retention of workers’ identity or immigration documents

  • Unlawful child labor

  • Physical abuse, threats, harassment, or restrictions on freedom of movement

Our routine supply chain verification is currently conducted internally and is not generally performed by an independent third party.

ChefStead may engage an independent specialist when a supplier, location, material, or reported concern presents an elevated risk.

2. Supplier Audits

ChefStead may evaluate supplier facilities through:

  • Scheduled factory visits

  • Production and quality inspections

  • Document reviews

  • Management interviews

  • Corrective-action follow-up

  • Independent social-compliance audits when appropriate

Routine factory visits and quality inspections may include observations relevant to workplace conditions, but they are not necessarily designed as comprehensive audits focused exclusively on slavery and human trafficking.

ChefStead does not currently conduct independent, unannounced human-trafficking audits of every direct supplier.

When circumstances indicate an elevated risk, ChefStead may require additional documentation, commission an independent audit, request a corrective-action plan, suspend new orders, or terminate the supplier relationship.

3. Direct Supplier Certification

ChefStead requires direct product suppliers to comply with applicable labor, employment, workplace safety, anti-trafficking, and forced-labor laws in the countries and regions where they operate.

Direct suppliers are expected to confirm that:

  • Materials and products supplied to ChefStead comply with applicable laws concerning slavery and human trafficking;

  • Employment is voluntary;

  • Workers are free to leave employment subject to lawful notice requirements;

  • Workers are not required to surrender passports, identity documents, or work permits as a condition of employment;

  • Workers are not charged unlawful recruitment fees;

  • Child labor is not used;

  • The supplier will communicate comparable expectations to relevant subcontractors and material suppliers; and

  • The supplier will cooperate with reasonable compliance inquiries and investigations.

ChefStead may require these commitments through supplier agreements, purchase terms, written certifications, or a Supplier Code of Conduct.

4. Internal Accountability

Employees, contractors, and suppliers are expected to act consistently with ChefStead’s human rights and responsible sourcing standards.

Potential violations may result in measures including:

  • Further investigation

  • Requests for supporting records

  • A time-bound corrective-action plan

  • Additional monitoring or auditing

  • Suspension of purchase orders

  • Rejection of affected goods

  • Suspension or termination of the business relationship

  • Referral to appropriate authorities when required by law

ChefStead considers the severity of the issue, the risk to workers, the supplier’s willingness to cooperate, and the effectiveness of corrective action when determining the appropriate response.

ChefStead prohibits retaliation against any person who raises a good-faith concern about suspected forced labor, human trafficking, or other unlawful conduct.

5. Training

Employees and managers with direct responsibility for sourcing, supplier selection, manufacturing, quality control, or supply chain management are expected to understand ChefStead’s standards concerning:

  • Indicators of forced labor and human trafficking

  • Responsible supplier selection

  • High-risk sourcing circumstances

  • Appropriate documentation and escalation procedures

  • Corrective-action expectations

  • The prohibition against retaliation for good-faith reporting

Training may be provided through internal guidance, written policies, management instruction, supplier compliance materials, or external resources.

ChefStead intends to review and strengthen this training as the company, product range, and supply chain grow.

Reporting a Concern

Employees, suppliers, contractors, workers, and members of the public may report suspected slavery, forced labor, human trafficking, or related misconduct involving ChefStead’s supply chain.

Reports may be submitted to:

Email: support@chefstead.com
Website: www.chefstead.com
Phone: +1 (507) 575-4146

Please include as much relevant information as possible, such as the supplier or facility name, location, dates, description of the concern, and any available supporting information.

Reports may be made without fear of retaliation. ChefStead will review credible concerns and take appropriate action based on the circumstances.

Continuous Improvement

We recognize that supply chain responsibility is an ongoing process.

As ChefStead grows, we intend to continue improving supplier documentation, risk assessment, contractual requirements, training, monitoring, and accountability procedures.

Our goal is not simply to publish a policy. It is to build long-term relationships with suppliers that share our respect for product quality, lawful employment, human dignity, and responsible manufacturing.