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FOOD SAFETY & QUALITY
 01
PARTNERING IN THE FACE OF GLOBAL CHALLENGES
 02
THE RAW MATERIAL OF CONSUMER TRUST
 03
ESTABLISHING STANDARDS FOR TRANSPARENT CONTROL
 04
A FARM TO FORK STRATEGY FOR DEPENDABLE FOOD
 05
THE TECHNOLOGY BEHIND FOOD SAFETY AND HYGIENE
 06
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION TOWARDS BETTER AND SAFER FOOD
Group 00
FOOD SAFETY & QUALITY
 01
PARTNERING IN THE FACE OF GLOBAL CHALLENGES
 02
THE RAW MATERIAL OF CONSUMER TRUST
 03
ESTABLISHING STANDARDS FOR TRANSPARENT CONTROL
 04
A FARM TO FORK STRATEGY FOR DEPENDABLE FOOD
 05
THE TECHNOLOGY BEHIND FOOD SAFETY AND HYGIENE
 06
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION TOWARDS BETTER AND SAFER FOOD
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FOOD SAFETY & QUALITY

WORLD-LEADING INNOVATION IN THE DANISH FOOD CLUSTER

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Best practices solve global challenges and set new standards

Climate change, malnutrition and the uneven distribution of safe nutrition

As the world faces increasing challenges related to food security, climate change and public health, Denmark is taking the lead in ensuring a safe, sustainable and high-quality food supply.

Through strong collaboration between industry, authorities and academia, the Danish food cluster delivers innovative solutions that set international benchmarks. 

Denmark’s farm-to-fork approach ensures food safety and quality at every stage of the value chain. This includes robust traceability systems, transparent own-check programmes, and high standards in animal welfare and environmental sustainability.

Niclas Jessen, Visit Denmark

Supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Denmark’s agriculture and food sector plays an important role in ensuring global access to safe, nutritious food. Aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Danish efforts focus on best practices, ongoing research, and shared innovation. Denmark’s strong commitment to food safety and quality directly supports SDG 2 Zero hunger, SDG 3 Good health and well-being; and SDG 12 Responsible consumption and production. 

Achieving the 2030 agenda requires global cooperation. In Denmark, collaboration across the food value chain – spanning industry, academia, NGOs, and government – is foundational. These joint efforts also contribute to SDG 17 Partnerships for the goals. 

PARTNERING IN THE FACE OF GLOBAL CHALLENGES

The collaborative responsibility for safe, high-quality food

Rooted in a strong culture of collaboration

The Danish approach is built on partnerships across government, industry and academia, ensuring safe, sustainable and high-quality food from farm to fork. 

Rooted in cooperative traditions since the 19th century, Denmark has developed a fully integrated food value chain with strong traceability and risk management systems.  

Field-to-fork innovation finds solutions to many challenges – generating new raw materials and technology, new ways to interact, and new ways to make use of data. 

Food Nation’s Stories by Denmark

In the late 1980s, rising Salmonella infections from chickens and eggs led to swift collaboration between authorities and the poultry industry. This led to the implementation of Denmark’s national action plan. By 2015, cases from chickens and eggs had been eliminated, earning Denmark a special Salmonella-free status in the EU. 

Commitment through the value chain

The Danish food quality and safety mindset is evident across the value chain. This approach enables swift responses to risks and supports trust in Danish food at home and abroad.  

Collaboration, self-regulation and voluntary agreements ensure: 

  • An effective national control system
  • High food traceability
  • Strong compliance with national and EU food regulations
  • The outcome is a high level of trust in Danish products – at home and abroad 
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Photo: Food Nation & Niels Hougaard

THE RAW MATERIAL OF CONSUMER TRUST

INVESTMENT IN ASSURING FOOD SAFETY AT SOURCE

Danish food safety begins at the source

Keeping food safe for human consumption is a major challenge. According to the UN Food and Agricultural Organization, one in ten people in the world fall ill after eating contaminated food, and 420,000 die each year.  

High-quality raw materials are essential for ensuring food safety and maintaining consumer trust.  

In Denmark, cooperation between farmers, food manufacturers, and authorities is key to achieving this. 

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Organic Denmark

Incentive models drive quality

National food legislation aligns with—and often exceeds—EU standards. Policies are developed in dialogue between the authorities, food sector and research and innovation institutions – laying the groundwork for ambitious food safety and quality goals. 

A strong focus on livestock health, disease prevention, and a coherent control structure secures the entire value chain.  

Transparent payment systems incentivise farmers to deliver high-quality raw materials, such as milk with optimal fat and protein content or grain with ideal moisture levels – produce according to safety and sustainability standards. These models strengthen food safety, efficiency, and product quality. 

As a result of high food safety standards Denmark demonstrates leadership in: 

  • Pesticide reduction in fruit and vegetables, with the lowest residue levels in Europe,
  • Biosecurity during livestock transport, through the DANISH Transport Standard,
  • Dairy quality control, via cooperative programmes like Arla’s Arlagården.

This integrated and preventative approach reinforces Denmark’s international reputation for safe, high-quality food products.

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ESTABLISHING STANDARDS FOR TRANSPARRENT CONTROL

TRUSTED FOOD EXPORT STARTS WITH BEST PRACTISE AT HOME

The high level of animal health and food safety in Denmark has opened the door to many export markets.

Denmark’s credibility as a food-exporting nation is built on decades of robust animal health and food safety controls, supported by the implementation of own-check systems by food producers. These systems require companies to document hygiene practices and food safety compliance, with oversight from the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (DVFA). 

Introduced in alignment with the 1994 EU hygiene directive, own-check systems are now a central pillar of the Danish food safety model. They enable producers to identify risks and take corrective actions efficiently. The industry has also developed standards like the Global Red Meat Standard (GRMS) and the Danish Transport Standard to support best practices and meet international requirements. 

Third-party certifications, increasingly demanded by global customers, are often prepared for using these own-check systems. This integrated and transparent approach underpins Denmark’s strong international position in food safety and export reliability. 

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countries around the world accept Danish food exports

A FARM TO FORK STRATEGY FOR DEPENDABLE FOOD

CROSS-DISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION ENSURES FOOD SAFETY AND SECURITY

A strong record for identifying and eliminating food safety risks

Denmark’s food safety system is rooted in a comprehensive farm-to-fork approach, ensuring control across the entire value chain. Historic milestones such as the compulsory pasteurisation of milk and early bans on trans fats and antibiotic growth promoters reflect a proactive stance on food safety. 

National efforts have included targeted actions like the Salmonella control programme and strict regulations on nitrite use in meat products. Denmark’s leadership also extends to novel protein safety, with robust HACCP-based monitoring and recent strategies promoting sustainable, plant-based protein sources. 

Cross-disciplinary collaboration among authorities, industry, and academia ensures rapid risk response, continuous improvement, and international trust in Danish food products. 

 

THE TECHNOLOGY BEHIND FOOD QUALITY AND HYGIENE

EFFICIENT PROCESSING SOLUTIONS ENABLE PRECISION AND TRACEABILITY

Necessity is the mother of invention

Driven by the need for cost-efficient production, Denmark's food industry has fostered world-leading technology firms focused on quality and hygiene.

Denmark’s food industry leverages advanced technology to ensure efficient, safe, and high-quality production. Driven by the need for cost-effective processes, Danish companies have become global leaders in food machinery, automation, and AI-based quality control. 

Technologies such as bacterial analysers and membrane filtration are widely used to maintain hygiene and product consistency, particularly in the dairy sector. AI and data systems enhance precision, enabling predictive risk management and consistent quality. 

Collaboration with institutions like the Danish Technological Institute supports continuous innovation, making Danish solutions central to global food safety and traceability efforts. 

RESEARCH AND INNOVATION TOWARDS BETTER AND SAFER FOOD

SOLVING GLOBAL CHALLENGES THORUGH THE DANISH VALUE CHAIN

Denmark is working towards a future where safe, healthy and sustainably produced food is accessible to all

Denmark’s 2030 vision is to secure access to safe, healthy, and sustainable food through targeted innovation and close collaboration between industry, academia, and government.

The country leads in applying big data and AI to enhance precision, traceability, and risk control. With advanced analytics, predictive tools, and strong track-and-trace systems, Danish research drives cutting-edge food safety solutions and reinforces its global position in food quality. 

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International customers often experience that their Danish partners have an ambitious approach to development projects, where the goal is not to meet expectations but to exceed them

Keep exploring the Danish solutions

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