Everything starts with the cow
The production of cow’s milk may sound like a simple process. Cows need food to produce milk. Preferably grass – lots of grass. But there is more to it. The quality of the grass is important. If the grass does not contain enough of the right nutrients, this will affect a cow's milk production. And that is still not all. The cow's living conditions are also important. Cows need plenty of exercise options, an optimal temperature in the barn, clean drinking water and a varied and balanced feed ration at the required times. Delivering quality is not a simple process. The professional expertise of dairy farmers is essential is this.
Transport to production locations
The milk from the cows that are milked goes into a bulk tank. On average, our drivers collect milk from the member dairy farmers every three days. They pump the milk from the bulk tank into their milk tanker truck under safe and sanitary conditions. The milk is processed into high-quality and delicious products at the production facilities. We have some 65 production facilities worldwide out of which 26 are located in the Netherlands. These include production facilities for cheese, infant nutrition, special types of butter and more.
Processing in the production facilities
Over 10,000 employees work in our production facilities. We follow strict safety and hygiene protocols so our employees can work safely and the products are of the highest quality. In addition to continuously inspecting our products and processes ourselves, we also rely on independent external authorities. Furthermore, strict supervision of product safety and processing is carried out by a government body called the Dutch Controlling Authority for Milk and Milk Products.
Quality and safety
We use an uniform quality system to guarantee quality and safety throughout our chain. Foqus Planet gives our member dairy farmers the tools necessary to achieve sustainable business operations and milk that is safe and of high quality. Food safety and quality, good working conditions for employees and fire safety are the cornerstones of Foqus.
Different milk streams for the consumer
At FrieslandCampina we have many different milk streams. Based on those milk streams we produce dairy products that meet various quality marks. These include organic milk, meadow milk and “On the way to PlanetProof” certified milk. These milk streams have special characteristics that regular milk does not. They are produced according to consumer demand.
On the way to PlanetProof
Our member dairy farmers are taking big steps to reduce their environmental impact. The majority of our member dairy farmers therefore meet the requirements of the quality mark ‘On the way to PlanetProof’. This independent quality mark requires a lot of attention for animal, nature and climate. For instance, reduction of CO2 and methane emission and high scores in the field of animal welfare and biodiversity. ‘PlanetProof’ also sets requirements in the field of meadow grazing and 'protein from their own land'. It requires a great deal of effort and craftsmanship from the dairy farmer to meet these strict standards. Therefore, we ask our customers for a higher compensation. Most of this will directly go to the member dairy farmers who comply with the quality mark. The other part goes to the collective, the cooperative. This will be used for sustainability improvements at the farm.
Would you like to learn more about ‘On the way to PlanetProof’ and its criteria? Check the story of member dairy farmer Ard, or visit the website of the quality mark for useful independent information.