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 the animal (principle 1), good nutrition, good environment, good health (principles 2, 3 and 4). Opportunities for natural behaviours (principle 5) and a predominantly positive emotional state.

Safety Guard

To record our quality assurance for the CSR themes, we use Safety Guard, the VanDrie Group's quality system. In various links of our chain, data relevant to ensuring food safety, animal health and animal welfare are collected and recorded.

Reduction of use of antibiotics

In 2024, the reduction of use of antibiotics in our chain was 62 percent compared to 2009. 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. In 2024, work has been carried out throughout the sector on visualising antibiotic use per flock, divided into a start-up period and the rest of the production period. This method of calculation better reflects practice and improves communication with veal farmers on this point.

The changed regulations in Germany regarding calf exit age from dairy farming (minimum 28 days) have not (yet) led to improvements in health or, unfortunately, to a reduction in antibiotic use. In addition, animals coming from Germany are older and therefore heavier and are prescribed more antibiotics per animal in the case of therapeutic intervention. In addition, the variation in the quality of the calves has increased. Also, the bluetongue outbreak seems to have affected disease incidence among susceptible animals.

A balanced diet

The right animal feed is essential for good animal health and welfare. On average, a calf in 2024 received 250 kilos of calf milk powder in the form of milk, 360 kilos of muesli and 40 kilos of chopped straw. The combination of roughage and milk leads to a well-developed digestive system in calves and therefore a healthy calf. There is continuous research into optimal ration composition.

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 ensure the health of our calves, we actively control haemoglobin levels, in which context our standard is significantly higher than 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 Dutch 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 meat processors 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 companies with the animal welfare code of conduct of the Central Organisation for the Meat Sector (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 animal welfare safeguards in meat processing companies.

Inspection results from independent certifying parties

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). That means animal welfare and food safety are supervised.

The regulator applies a zero tolerance policy at our meat processing companies. 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.