Arla Foods Ingredients supplies raw materials by the tonne to Chr. Hansen’s kosher production
Kosher dietary law has shaped the stringent quality standards of Chr. Hansen, the world’s leading manufacturer of dairy and meat cultures. As a key supplier to four Chr. Hansen production plants, Arla Foods Ingredients plays a significant part in ensuring these quality standards are met.
All our products must be kosher-approved so we can sell them to the USA, where there is a large Jewish population,” explains Bent Zibrandtsen, vice-president of global sourcing at Chr. Hansen. Today, kosher approval has become a standard quality requirement.

Large volumes
Arla Foods Ingredients supplies large volumes of lactose, skimmed milk powder, milk permeate and caseinate to Chr. Hansen in Denmark, France, Germany and the USA where up to two tonnes of the raw materials go into every production run. To secure kosher status for these products, Arla Foods Ingredients invited a rabbi to inspect and approve the processes, equipment and cleaning procedures employed. Only with a rabbi’s blessing can supplies be dispatched.
Arla Foods Ingredients delivers an outstanding quality at a competitive price. Problems are rare and, when they do arise, we work together to find a solution, says Bent Zibrandtsen.
An unexpected shortage of caseinate last year illustrated the close working relationship between the two companies.
The supply problem was compounded by the fact that our requirements suddenly doubled, Bent Zibrandtsen recalls. But Arla Foods Ingredients still managed to meet our needs.

Close dialogue
Among Chr. Hansen’s many customers is Arla Foods – Arla Foods Ingredients’ parent company which uses cultures in its cheese and yogurt production. Just as Chr. Hansen audits Arla Foods Ingredients, Arla Foods audits Chr. Hansen, demanding high quality standards and full traceability throughout the supply chain.

Our customers expect us to develop new cultures that provide the desired characteristics in products that differentiate themselves on the market, whether probiotic yogurt, low-fat cheese or niche products such as blue cheese. To give our customers the right consistent products, we need to use high quality raw materials.
Expectations of suppliers to the food industry continue to climb, and Chr. Hansen will expect more of Arla Foods Ingredients in the years ahead. Innovative solutions that improve products and processes are already being discussed, and vendor managed inventory, involving automatic replenishment of raw material stocks, is likely within the foreseeable future. The dialogue goes on.