Danish Crown will phase out palm oil by 2023

Palm oil is used as a binder in animal feed and thus in the production of meat. As part of the partnership with Danish Alliance for Responsible Palm oil, Danish Crown has now adopted an action plan, which will phase out palm oil by 2023.

Together with 20 other Danish companies, Danish Crown has joined the Danish Alliance for Responsible Palm Oil, which requires companies to publish action plans for how they will ensure the use of responsibly produced palm oil in Denmark and contribute to more responsible production globally.

This means that by 2023 Danish Crown will have phased out the use of palm oil completely in the value chain, and already next year consumption will be halved and at the same time purchased through RSPO certificates.

In meat production, palm oil is primarily used in the feed mixture for slaughter animals, and therefore the phasing out must take place in collaboration with the Danish agri-food companies, which supply the feed to Danish Crown’s owners.

– Palm oil accounts for a very small part of the total feed mixture, and it is used as a binder, so therefore it can be replaced relatively easily. However, we have owners who have signed long duration feed contracts, so we can not phase it out from day 1, and therefore in the intervening period, certified palm oil will be purchased, says Preben Sunke, COO of Danish Crown.

Palm oil is used in feed for both cattle and pigs, and can be replaced with other similar products – for example rapeseed or sunflower oil.

Source: Danish Crown