APELDOORN, Holland – Ekro, a subsidiary of the Dutch veal producer, VanDrie Group, became the first European veal slaughterhouse approved to export veal products to China.

The agreement between the Dutch and China is the result of a 17-year negotiation process, according to VanDrie Group. The Chinese government authorized the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority to perform the final required inspection of one veal producing company.

“Many people have worked very hard to achieve this. The Dutch embassy and its agricultural attachés in China, the NVWA and the Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) all deserve considerable praise,” said Henry Swinkels, director of Corporate Affairs.  “I am also very happy with the help that we have received from the Dutch meat association Centrale Organisatie voor de Vleessector (COV). It is an excellent result that could only be achieved through the professional, collective efforts and close cooperation with the Chinese institutions.”

Initially, Ekro will ship boneless veal products, but Swinkel noted the potential exists to expand trade of Dutch veal to China.

“With our quality system Safety Guard, we provide unique guarantees for the Dutch veal products that we deliver, such as quality, tracking and tracing and food safety,” he said. “Chinese consumers find these elements very important. It is now up to us to familiarize the market with the product.”