Centre for milk quality opens in China

Today, 26 November, the “China-Denmark Milk Technology Cooperation Centre” opened officially in Beijing.

The Chinese Minister of Agriculture, together with his Danish colleague, opened the centre, which has been established on a joint basis by Arla and Mengniu of China. The centre will give the Chinese the opportunity to tap Danish know-how generally, as well as Arla’s knowledge and experience of quality and food safety in the production of milk products, including high milk quality, traceability and controlled milk production at farms.

Own organisation that will initiate projects with different partners

“The centre will have its own small organisation that will initiate projects with different partners – which may be universities, companies, or the Knowledge Centre for Agriculture in Denmark. One example is the fingerprint project, in which Foss, among others, already participates. The projects cover the supply chain from land to table,” says Niels Juul Mortensen, technology manager for Arla’s activities in China.

The inauguration was symbolic, and took place at COFCO’s head office in Beijing, but from 2013 the centre will move into its own facilities in the heart of the Chinese capital, where Mengniu’s offices are also located. Later, however, the centre will make its final move to a new COFCO R&D centre on the outskirts of Beijing, which will be completed by the end of 2013.

One of the first projects, called the fingerprint has already achieved a lot. Another task is the establishment of a model farm that will be run according to the Arla Farm principles. This project is still in the start-up phase.

Purpose of the centre is to strengthen food safety

The centre will promote cooperation between the Chinese and Danish dairy industries, and also gather both theoretical and practical experience and knowledge relating to milk production – all with the purpose of strengthening food safety. The aim is to boost the level of Chinese milk production to European standards, based on Arla’s longstanding experience from its Danish-Swedish milk production.