There is great focus on environmental performance in the production of pork. This is due to the fact that the Danish food business operators are focusing their efforts on producing more with less resources and less environmental impact.

In order to ensure a high food safety, the abattoirs use much water and energy in connection with cleaning and refrigeration. However, the abattoirs in Denmark have succeeded in reducing the energy consumption by more than a third in the recent decades and have reduced the water consumption significantly in the same period.

Energy and water consumption

The food industry is focusing their efforts on producing more with less resources and less environmental impact. The abattoirs have succeeded in reducing the energy consumption by more than a third in the recent decades and have reduced the water consumption significantly in the same period.

Despite a targeted effort, the abattoirs use a lot of water and energy in connection with cleaning and refrigeration to ensure the high Danish food safety.

In recent years, the abattoirs have reduced their use of resources through increased resource efficiency and have thereby succeeded in disentangling the production from its environmental impact. Thereby, a significant reduction has been achieved both when it comes to water consumption and energy consumption.

Pioneering initiatives improve the energy efficiency

In the 1990s, the Danish meat industry made a major joint effort to save energy resulting in a number of pioneering initiatives that contributed hugely to improving the energy efficiency. Since then, the Danish meat industry has continued this work.

The pork sector has thereby reduced its energy consumption by more than one third in the past decades. A reduction in the energy consumption has been achieved by recycling heat from refrigerating plants and processes, investing in new energy efficient plants and having general focus on waste of energy.

In the same period, the pork industry has succeeded in reducing its water consumption significantly. A reduction in the water consumption has been achieved by efficiency improvements and by focusing on optimising the water consumption in various parts of the production processes.