27 November 2019

2 minute read

Europe

"There are some obvious advantages to this way of packing our minced beef. First of all, we reduce the consumption of plastic to an absolute minimum. At the same time, the meat is packed without oxygen, which ensures that the shelf life from the production date is extended from 7 to 14 days, so overall there is a plus on sustainability for both less plastic consumption and less food waste," said Claus Hein, sales director at Danish Crown Beef .

It is far from coincidental that it is Dagrofa Foodservice and the 29 S-Wholesale stores in Denmark that will be the first to have the new packaging in the refrigerator counter. The meat will not appear quite as red in the "rollers", as the oxygen used in the traditional meat trays means that the meat retains the red color. But at S-Wholesale, customers will hardly wonder at this, as it is typically professionals who shop for canteens, cafes and restaurants.

"We believe that our customers will see it as a step forward that the meat is now packed without oxygen. They will also note that the new tubes are easier to transport, fill less in the fridge and can actually be thrown directly into the freezer without repacking, so I'm sure they will accept the new 'meat rolls'," said Mike Rasmussen, who is a category group manager at Dagrofa Foodservice.

Danish Crown has a target of halving the company's total carbon footprint by 50 percent by 2030 compared to the footprint in 2005. At the same time, the ambition is to be CO2 neutral in 2050.

Earlier this year, Danish Crown changed the plastic type used for the classic black meat trays so that they can now be re-melted and reused for packaging food. The change from so-called PE plastic to PET plastic ensures that Danish Crown reduces the annual consumption of new plastic for meat trays by 1000 tonnes, and this is not done with the new "meat roll".

"If there are several of our customers who will in time choose to sell minced beef packaged in the tubular pack, I certainly cannot refuse, but that does not mean that the meat trays can be immediately removed. At Danish Crown, we will continue to have products such as cut meat for, for example, beef stroganoff, and they present themselves best in the well-known black tray," said Mr Hein.

The first "meat rolls" that find their way to Dagrofa S wholesale stores will contain minced beef from the Danish Meat Cattle.

TheCattleSite News Desk