As the global population heads towards 10 billion people by 2050, reutilisation capabilities will play a vital role in relieving the pressure on the world’s resources.

At the Danish rendering company Haarslev, this has been a speciality for more than a century. It is here that by-products from meat, poultry and fish production are delivered and valuable components extracted using today’s most sustainable processing technology.

Upcycling by-products

The rendering industry is one of the oldest recycling industries on the planet. By breaking down meat, poultry and fish waste, the process draws out useful proteins, minerals and oils. These can then be used in other products such as fuel, soap, rubber, plastic and animal feed.

By breaking down meat, poultry and fish waste, rendering  draws out useful proteins, minerals and oils for reuse – reducing a significant environmental burden

At the same time, rendering solves what would otherwise be a significant economic and environmental burden on areas involved in industrial scale slaughtering.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions

Haarslev helps slaughterhouses and independent renderers all over the world turn meat by-products into valuable co-products. Through the use of specialist equipment and knowhow, a safe and healthy rendering process is ensured.

Minimal carbon dioxide and methane emissions also make rendering a far preferable alternative to landfill, incinerators and other means of waste disposal reducing a significant environmental and economic burden in the process.

The fast implementation of automatic washing of pig farms in Denmark leads the way to increased hygiene and efficiency internationally. Further, it creates a better working environment and heighten your biosecurity.

Maintaining high levels of hygiene is essential in modern pig production. By not having the most up-to-date equipment, pig farming can be labor-demanding. Denmark is a global leader in automation processes for pig farming that lead to high levels of hygiene and on top can reduce manual labor needed for the operations.

Washing robot increases work environment and biosecurity

The washing robot from the Danish company Washpower is today operating in more than 150 pig houses throughout Denmark. It removes the hard manual work of washing with high pressure washers and thus increase the working environment, as this is the most demanding part of the washing process. In addition, the general hygiene levels increase due to more attention on the final part of the washing process, being the soaping and disinfection process.

 automatic wash process is cut down from 5 hours per one section to 4, optimising existing working processes without compromising on quality and increases hygiene levels

The automatic washing process removes the need for external people in the farms which increases biosecurity and frees up time for the normal staff to take care of the piglets and pigs. Finally, the washing robot is often quicker in doing the job and it can run during the night. This increase the drying time enhancing the production cycle and thus increase earnings and biosecurity.

Increasing hygiene levels in the US

In 2019 the United States based Pipestone Veterinary Services reached out to Washpower to test the robot. The goals were clear: Pipestone wanted to improve the working environment, ensure fewer people in the farmhouses, increase hygiene levels and increase speed in the washing process without compromising on quality.

After a demonstration, Pipestone Veterinary Services found that the automatic washing process had met all their goals: Staff worked very limited with high pressure cleaning as the robot did all initial cleaning meaning that the washing process was cut down from 5 hours per one section to 4 hours. Number of staffs needed for the process was reduced from 2-3 people to 1 person, who only spend approx. 2 hours on the process. All in all, the hygiene levels were improved, staff motivation was improved substantially, and the time saved was allocated to other primary tasks in the farmhouses.

Following this test, Pipestone decided to assist other farms in US gaining the same results by entering a partnership with Washpower and let automatic washing to become a natural part of US farms in the future.

What began with 14 months of intense recipe development on a Danish island is becoming a story of sustainable packaging of high-end liquorice products to a global market.

In 2007, after testing and boiling liquorice for 14 months, the recipe to kickstart what rose into a globally sought-after liquorice brand was finally nailed. More than 2,000 stores worldwide now sell the expanding line of LAKRIDS BY BÜLOW liquorice product varieties.

While not losing a strong focus on product development, the liquorice company is well ahead in a transitional phase regarding its packaging. The company taps into a growing consumer-driven demand for responsible packaging that differentiates companies in competitive markets across sectors, not least in the agri-food industry.

The jar labels is made from sustainable paper sources and 70% of the giftbox cardboards is from recycled material

A global demand for sustainable packaging

The global increasing demand for responsible choices in production including packaging options is thus beginning to have an impact. To LAKRIDS BY BÜLOW this has resulted in changed choices of material and a rethinking of packaging towards what they call “sustainable luxury”. This means creating a luxurious product experience that doesn’t compromise sustainability.

The first steps taken by the company is the use of 100% recycled and recyclable plastic for their jars while removing the use of a metal sealing from the lids. Next, in 2021, the company started using recycled glass jars. Most recently, refill bags have been introduced – enabling customers to buy a bag and fill it into the glass jar at home. Labelling on the jars is made from sustainable paper sources and the cardboard for their giftboxes consists of 70% recycled material.

Continuous optimisation

Now and in the near future, companies that embrace the opportunity to take environmental leadership will reap rewards. LAKRIDS BY BÜLOW has taken crucial steps in the optimisation of packaging and processes towards sustainability and are continuously working on how to optimise their processes to become even more sustainable.

Pig producers around the world face the same challenge: how to reduce waste and improve the efficiency of their production. The barn feeding system is often a good place to start.

Representing the pig farmer’s biggest expense, feed accounts for around 50% of the costs on sow farms and up to 80% on farms that focus on raising finishers. So, any opportunity to cut feed waste through better feeding control is also an opportunity to improve profits.

One of Europe’s leading developers and suppliers of barn equipment, Danish ACO FUNKI has the efficient feeding systems to make that happen.

ADVANCED PHASE FEEDING SYSTEMS REDUCE FEED WASTE AND GIVE COMPLETE FEED TRACEABILITY AND STORAGE CONTROL

Phase feeding ensures lower feed consumption

ACO FUNKI’s advanced phase feeding systems are designed to ensure all pigs receive the right feed mixes for their age and, thanks to sensor control, that they get just enough feed to meet their needs. So very little feed is left over in the trough.

In this way, farmers reduce feed waste and as an extra benefit also obtain complete feed traceability and storage control.

From waste to profits

Residual-free liquid feeding also ensures no remnants are left in the feed pipes after feeding. So, the feed distributed to the pigs is always completely fresh, reducing bacteria and infections in the barn and cutting medicine consumption by 50%.

The North Atlantic Ocean between Canada and Greenland is an extremely demanding water to sail and fish in. In addition to difficult waters, today’s trawlers are at sea for up to 300 days a year, which places extremely high demands on both vessels and on the production equipment and process line on board.

The Danish company Intech is specialized in complete on- and offboard processing solutions for the fishing industry together with tray denesters and other process equipment to the food industry. Therefore, it was also the ones that Canadian Newfound Resources Limited reached out to as they were about to make a whole new trawler type – which would prove to be Canada’s first energy-efficient shrimp vessel.

Efficiency at sea

Intech was awarded the contract to build a complete shrimp factory on board the NewFoundland Victor shrimp trawler supplying all of the equipment to the factory including a by-catch separator, shrimp graders, continuous shrimp cookers which saves energy by maintaining the temperature, freezing tunnel for freezing shrimp, automatic weighing of shrimp in sacks, complete package line where cooked and frozen shrimp is packed in boxes or sacks and passed on to palletizing systems. The entire system is manufactured to make all work processes easier and less manual.

The trawler has set a production record of 130 tonnes of finished shrimp in one day

First energy-efficient fishing vessel

The result is a fully automatic, streamlined, sailing shrimp factory which is also the first energy-efficient fishing vessel in Canada. In order to become what’s called a “clean ship”, Newfound Resources had to obtain a certification proving it to be a high-tech and energy efficient vessel.

The fishing vessel is approx. 88 meters long and 18 meters wide with an 800 tons of cargo space which allows it to be at sea for up to 14 days in a row before the load is full. The trawler has already set a production record of 130 tonnes of finished shrimp in one day, due to a stable, efficient and highly durable process line.

With their sustainability programme Together Towards ZERO, brewing giant Carlsberg brings four major ambitions to life. One is to take measures that further responsible drinking.

Consuming alcohol like beer is at the heart of social occasions worldwide. Big, corporate brands are marketing themselves across borders to get their share and expand the global beer market.

But promoting alcoholic drinks leaves the producers with a huge responsibility. That alcohol consumption has its potential downsides is all too well-known and so preventing the harmful use of alcohol is an individual target in the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

A comprehensive sustainability programme

Danish world-known brewery Carlsberg has brought this target to the core of their products within their efforts to make sustainability a point of departure in their business. Further, as a part of this, they are taking serious steps into the production and promotion of alcohol-free beverages.

With an “enable-inform-encourage” approach, the company works on a threefold level taking measures to further responsible drinking

Carlsberg has made their own clear goal in this regard with the ambition of “zero irresponsible drinking” as part of their 2030 programme. With an “enable-inform-encourage” approach, the company works on a threefold level taking measures to further responsible drinking.

Non-alcoholic beverages on the rise

Consumers are enabled through an expanding range of alcohol-free choices. Today, Carlsberg non-alcoholic alternatives are available in 70 markets worldwide. Carlsberg is working with partners to ensure that wherever consumers find a beer from Carlsberg, they can always choose a non-alcoholic alternative. Information is brought to consumers directly on the packaging, carrying messages and info on responsible drinking and nutrition on 96% and 86% of packaging respectively in Western Europe. Through initiatives of engagement and dialogue the message and promotion of responsible drinking is carried out, and in partnerships with stores, bars and restaurants they work to prevent underage drinking.

In large scale industrial kitchens, waste handling is an inherent part of daily operations. Leftover peels from e.g. carrots, fish bones or drained coffee grounds is normally quite impractical to recycle in large-scale kitchens. Danish company Biotrans has developed a complete solution to industrial kitchens for recycling organic waste properly.

Turning waste into biogas

The solution consists of an in-house waste shredder called BioMaster, that breaks down food waste and transports it to a bio tank either underground or outside the kitchen. The bio tank will automatically be emptied by Biotrans’ partners when full. The tank is equipped with an active carbon filter which assures that no foul smells escape the tanks. The food waste is then transported to and converted into biogas at a biogas facility. Leftovers from the gasification process are turned into fertilizer.

The food waste is transported to and converted into biogas at a biogas facility. Leftovers from the gasification process are turned into fertilizer

The food waste from Biotrans does not undergo energy consuming preliminary treatment prior to the gasification process. This is possible due to the purity of the waste, which is completely free of plastic and metals, enabling it to be directly transported to the biogas facility from industrial kitchens.

Easy handling spares employees

Handling big amounts of waste is often a heavy workload that strains the backs and shoulders of kitchen staff. With the BioMaster in-house solution, food waste can be disposed with no need for filling large waste bags. Simply scraping a dish off or emptying a waste bucket directly into the shredder will suffice, as the bio tanks can contain enormous amounts of waste compared to normal waste bins.

Good for both staff and economics

The Biotrans solution has been implemented in many industrial kitchens already, amongst them at Legoland, Nordea and the National Danish Hospital in Copenhagen (Rigshospitalet), helping staff in their daily routines. But further, the expenses from weekly handling of waste bins are also cut due to the volume of the bio tank, as it only has to be emptied every 4 to 6 weeks. In summary: BioMaster is both an environmentally, economically and socially great solution for handling food waste.

Salmonella is a major cause of food poisoning worldwide. In fact, the number of foodborne diseases caused by pathogen bacteria is 15 cases per 100,000 people. Though most cases of salmonella are not deadly, severe illnesses may occur in persons infected.

If Salmonella is detected in any type of food, producers are required to recall potentially large quantities of products. Safety always comes first. Beyond the human health consequences, the economic impact can be seen in healthcare costs, costly product recalls, and significant food waste.

Faster and certified detection method with qPCR technology

Using the Salmonella Velox qPCR test kit, it is possible to test, for example, meat, seafood and environmental samples and obtain results in less than six hours – compared to around three to four days with conventional tests. The Salmonella Velox method is certified by NordVal International (NordVal Certificate 046) as an alternative method to the ISO method for Salmonella detection, ISO 6579.

Salmonella Velox can test samples of meat, pork, poultry, processed meat and seafood in less than six hours

Optimising recalls and freeing up cold store capacity

The speed of the Salmonella Velox qPCR test kit provides food producers with rapid and reliable results. In the event of a positive test, it enables faster root cause investigations, minimises potential impact, and serves as a proactive tool in daily quality control routines. By delivering confirmatory results within hours, the test helps prevent outbreaks and allows recalls to be initiated sooner.

Faster diagnostics also free up cold storage capacity and improve overall production efficiency. As a result, the innovative test kit not only strengthens food safety, but also reduces costs, food waste, and energy consumption.

A dedicated approach to quality puts Danish cocoa distributor among the guiding lighthouses of the global cocoa business.

Not that long ago – in 2013 – Danish multi-facetted company, Ingemann, entered the cocoa sector in Nicaragua. They saw a need and potential for lifting the cocoa quality as well as the quality of life among the farming communities.

Already engaged in Nicaragua through bee keeping since 2007 the family-owned company was an experienced multilateral collaborator in the food sector through local partnerships and backed by the Danish International Development Agency.

Today, by focusing especially on varieties, training, and distribution, Ingemann provides the crucial high-end market access to more than 1000 producers. The identified cacao bean varieties hold the potential for a high-quality product. The quality is assured through the implementation of farmer training programmes and a consistent control of the post-harvesting fermentation process. The quality cocoa is finally distributed to high-end chocolate producers and is currently amongst the most award winning in the world.

Today, by focusing especially on varieties, training, and distribution, Ingemann provides the crucial high-end market access to more than 1000 producers

Further, the producers are paid a price among the highest in the world. This encourages the continued cultivation of low-yield, high-quality trees while economically benefitting the farming communities including more than 5000 workers and their families.

However, due to climate changes the working and farming conditions are challenged. Ingemann has therefore initiated the collection and analysis of climatic information to implement climate resilience in the sector. As part of this work is the contribution of reforestation in Nicaragua through the planting of, so far, more than one million cocoa trees.

The combined and dedicated approach to the link between quality and conditions of the raw material and the decisive role of the producers behind it has thus put Danish company Ingemann in the forefront of the global cocoa production.

There are many who can’t eat winegums because of the ingredients often used in producing them like animal gelatine, artificial colouring and gluten. This is why Danish winegum producer Wally and Whiz decided to make a winegum available for everyone, regardless of taste, intolerance, age, religion or geographical origin.

The winegums are 100% vegan and contains no additives, gluten or artificial colours. This ensures that virtually anyone can eat them anywhere. And the product is not only meant to be eatable by anyone – it’s a top shelf gourmet winegum with the best ingredients and some experimental tastes such as apple/yuzu, liquorice/sea buckthorn or peach/bergamot.

From apartment experiments to worldwide winegums

Wally and Whiz originated in a small apartment in Copenhagen where the founder started his mission to create a winegum suitable for gourmet shelves all over the world. Through trial and error, Wally and Whiz developed their first product for sale in a local speciality store. Today, Wally and Whiz winegums are available in more than 800 stores in about 30 countries with a production line that makes 2,000 cans a day.

The winegums are 100% vegan and contains no additives

Start small, dream big

Denmark’s culture for entrepreneurship and innovation seeps through all layers of the food cluster. From well established industrialised food companies to ambitious and agile start-ups, we’re always trying to come up with new innovative and tasty food products and solutions. Denmark’s culture for entrepreneurs fosters a mindset, where there is never a long way from idea to execution – or national to international markets.