May 4, 2012

Danish Crown has finalised plans to build a new beef cattle slaughterhouse in the town of Holsted, within the municipality of Vejen, Denmark, following a 12-month analysis.

However, as a result building the new facility, Danish Crown will be closing cattle slaughterhouses in Tønder and Holstebro, and the deboning departments in Skjern and Fårvang will move to the new slaughterhouse. The existing head office in Herning will also move to the new premises. 400 employees in DC Beef will be affected by the new slaughterhouse.

Being billed as the biggest single investment in the Danish cattle sector, this will be the first large cattle slaughterhouse to be established in Denmark for almost four decades. Danish Crown executives said the new slaughterhouse will be built on state-of-the-art principles that will optimise quality-control procedures, including better utilisation of by-products and ultimately, better meat quality.

"We have for several years reaped the benefits of investing in a top modern slaughterhouse in the Pork Division, and when looking at the upward trend in production costs in the Danish slaughterhouse industry, we have to be at the technological forefront to be competitive," said Lorenz Hansen, division director of DC Beef. "The new cattle slaughterhouse will secure us that position. We also ensure that we create the highest possible value from our raw materials as well as make the most of the energy and other resources available."