Danish Crown Beef introduces sustainable packaging for mince products
The ‘meat rolls’ are expected to reduce packaging waste and extend shelf life.
Danish Crown Beef sales director Claus Hein explained why the move away from black trays has been made. “There are some obvious advantages to this way of packing our chopped beef. First of all, we reduce the consumption of plastic to an absolute minimum. At the same time, the meat is packed without air, 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.”
Hein added that this could be rolled out further should there be demand for it. “If there are several of our customers who will in time choose to sell minced beef packaged in the tubular package, 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.”
The business explained why Dagrofa Foodservice and the 29 S-Wholesale stores 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.”
Dagrofa Foodservice category group manager Mike Rasmussen added: “We believe that our customers will see it as a step forward that the meat is now packed without air. 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’.”
Danish Crown has set itself a target of halving the company's total carbon footprint by 2030 compared to the imprint in 2005 and for it to be CO2 neutral by 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.
