It is our responsibility to ensure the intrinsic value and needs of the animals in our chain. We remain critical of our own practices and are continuously improving ourselves. We look for ways, both on our own and in cooperation with dairy and veal farmers and knowledge partners, to improve general animal health and to reduce animal diseases. Furthermore, we invest in technical innovations that enable us to improve animal welfare objectively.

Animal health and welfare in the chain

We ensure animal health and welfare throughout our entire chain by treating animals with care, including responsible use of antibiotics and minimisation of distress by adhering to the so-called ‘Six Principles’ adopted by the Council on Animal Affairs (Raad voor Dieraangelegenheden). Recognition of the intrinsic value and integrity of animals (principle 1), good nutrition, a good environment, good health (principles 2, 3 and 4). opportunities for natural behaviour (principle 5) and a predominantly positive emotional state.

Safety Guard

To document the welfare of calves in the Dutch and Belgian part of our chain, an Animal Welfare Code (Dierenwelzijnscode, DWC) has been included in Safety Guard, the VanDrie Group's quality system. Compliance with this code is documented in that DWC monitor in various links of our chain. It is a tool that uses animal-specific indicators (behavioural and health characteristics) to make a reliable assessment of animal welfare at the primary holding until the point the animal is stunned. The monitor is based on the methodology of the European Welfare Quality^® research project. It contributes to insights into animal welfare and supports the management of husbandry.

Reduction of use of antibiotics

In 2023, the reduction of use of antibiotics in our chain amounted to 62.2 percent compared to 2007. The veal sector saw a downward trend in the use of antibiotics between 2007 and 2020, the use of antibiotics stabilised between 2020 and 2022, and there appears to have been a limited increase across the sector in the past year.

In the coming years, the sector will have to start developing and implementing the necessary interventions to improve calf health even further. As set out in the Veal Forward sector plan, measures that are expected to lead to improved health and a further reduction in the use of antibiotics are proposed in the coming years. A new calculation system that gives a better insight into related performance will also be introduced.

It cannot be ruled out that the amended regulations in Germany pertaining to veal slaughter age also influenced the (slight) increase in use of antibiotics that was observed. Animals that come from Germany are older and therefore heavier, and are prescribed more antibiotics per animal in therapeutic interventions. In addition, the variation in the quality if the calves has increased.

From milk to more solid feed

The right animal feed is essential for good animal health and welfare. Whereas calves were fed quite a static diet before the turn of the century, primarily calf milk replacer, this has changed dramatically in recent decades. On average, a calf in 2023 received 250 kilos of calf milk powder in the form of milk, 360 kilos of muesli and 40 kilos of chopped straw. The shift from milk to more solid feed leads to a better developed digestive system in calves and therefore a healthier and more vital calf. The rumen creates more vitamin B and the roughage contains iron.

More roughage contributes to the species-specific behaviour of rumination and promotes health at the same time. (Clinical) anaemia has become rare partly because of this. Anaemia was a considerable problem in veal farming for many years. We therefore fully understand that the subject is inextricably linked to the sector. If haemoglobin levels in the blood of the calves are too low, this can cause health problems such as anaemia.

To safeguard the health of our calves, we actively tackle anaemia. We have now been doing this successfully for several decades. We actively aim for haemoglobin levels that significantly exceed the European requirement of an average of at least 4.5 millimoles per litre.

Animal Welfare Officers

To meet animal welfare requirements during slaughter too, Animal Welfare Officers have been appointed at all our meat processing companies. These employees are trained to recognise animal behaviour and are experts in calf welfare and the processes at the business in question. They play an important role in safeguarding animal welfare at meat processing companies.

Smart camera surveillance

In addition to monitoring by Animal Welfare Officers, innovative techniques are used to further safeguard animal welfare. There is continuous camera surveillance at all meat processing companies. The regulator can view these images. A pilot with smart camera surveillance that can identify deviations in behaviour was commenced at Ekro in Apeldoorn in 2021. Following successful completion, this smart camera surveillance was implemented at all the VanDrie Group's veal slaughterhouses in the Netherlands in 2023.

The VanDrie Group is collaborating with Deloitte to develop and optimise these computer models so we can track incidents independently. The models used can identify overcrowded stalls and unnecessary physical contact between an employee and an animal.

Animal Welfare Code of Conduct

The VanDrie Group has aligned its policies at Dutch meat-processing plants with the animal welfare code of conduct of the Central Organisation for the Meat Sector (Centrale Organisatie voor de Vleessector, COV) The code of conduct includes annual training for slaughterhouse employees, intensive camera monitoring, the use of artificial intelligence when deploying cameras and knowledge sharing between companies to increase learning ability. The code of conduct also requires external specialists to assess the safeguarding of animal welfare in slaughterhouses.

Outcome of NVWA inspection

Like other large and medium-sized slaughterhouses in the Netherlands, our Dutch meat-processing plants Ameco, ESA, Ekro and T. Boer & zn are under the permanent supervision of the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA). This entails constant monitoring of important issues, such as animal welfare or hygienic working practices.

In addition to this permanent supervision, the NVWA carries out inspections (a total of 4,941 of the aforementioned companies) and publishes its data publicly on its website. The compliance rate at the four companies was as high as 99.9% in 2023. We therefore meet the demands placed on us to a large extent. Nevertheless, a few shortcomings that are subject to fines under the Dutch Animals Act were identified. We take the safeguarding of animal welfare at our meat-processing plants seriously.

The regulator applies a zero tolerance policy at our meat-processing plants. Even for process components where this does not appear to be a requirement from an animal welfare or food safety perspective. Increasingly, the regulator is compelled to allow public interests to guide its decision-making. And because public interests are not based solely on facts, the situation increasingly arises where not only risk but perceptions also influence the establishment of shortcomings. We will therefore increasingly challenge instances of unjustified decisions in court. Fortunately, case law also shows that findings do not always prove to be justified.