16 October 2018

3 minute read

Europe

FrieslandCampina says: "The milk from their farms allows us to produce high-quality dairy products, and we do that as sustainably as possible. We control the entire production chain, from farm to consumer, and from grass to glass."

The farm

Consistently producing milk of a high quality all starts on the farm. The company encourages its farmers to let their cows graze in the fields. In addition to grass, the cows also consume corn and concentrates.

FrieslandCampina's farmers give the best care to their cows. The better a cow feels, the more milk it yields - on average, about 25 liters per day. The dairy farmers commit to an increasingly sustainable agriculture, with lower energy consumption and fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

More than 700 dairy farmers have participated in a program to place solar panels on their barns from which they generate energy for their own farms and protect the environment. Besides that, the health and welfare of the cows, apart from biodiversity, are also important aspects of the company's sustainability program.

Transport

FrieslandCampina's farmers store milk in a cooling tank at 4°C. The milk then goes to a factory in a refrigerated truck. By doing this, the quality and taste of the milk is preserved. The driver of the milk truck performs a quality check and transports the milk from farm to factory.

Milk trucks with the FrieslandCampina or Campina logo can be seen throughout the Dutch countryside. More and more of its trucks are equipped with solar panels or special tanks containing a mixture of diesel and gas (LNG). The use of bio-waste as fuel is also being tested. By working with alternative fuels, its is possible to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by as much as 12 per cent.

Quality control

The milk is processed into a dairy product as soon as it arrives at the factory. Milk is used in yoghurt, cheese, butter, cream or desserts, or can be changed into ingredients for other food makers. The quality and safety are guaranteed by employees of quality services who work with international standards.

The company also aims to reduce the use of energy (-2 per cent per year) and water every year during the production processes at the factory. The waste is separated and in many factories, the waste water is cleaned.

By 2020, all FrieslandCampina sites aim to use 100 per cent renewable electricity worldwide. For example, it plans to generate as much as possible from the sun, wind or biomass, as well as from its own farms.

For each factory, objectives have been set to consume less energy and water. The company's products and packaging are made from responsible raw materials such as soya, cocoa and palm oil.

Research and development

FrieslandCampina's experts research and develop the unique composition and properties of milk every day. By doing this, they see the bigger picture and gain more insight into the nutritional value of milk, and how it helps at all stages of life.

The researchers are committed to making new products or new applications for ingredients from milk. They are also working on new sustainable packaging and better production processes that require less energy or water. The FrieslandCampina Institute provides information about dairy, food and health for professionals who work in healthcare.

Various nutrients

Milk is naturally a source of various nutrients: proteins, calcium, phosphorus, iodine, potassium and vitamins B2 and vitamin B12. This makes it part of a balanced and healthy diet and lifestyle. Dairy farming in the Netherlands is doing well compared to other countries when it comes to impacting the environment. The environmental effect of Dutch dairy farming is reportedly the lowest in the world.

TheCattleSite News Desk