Lineage keeps food fresh on the way in and out of Denmark: - It's a huge responsibility

Denmark may be a small country, but out in the big world we leave our mark. Lego bricks, weight loss pharmaceuticals and Aqua's “Barbie Girl” are high on the list of Danish export goods, but we are also known for something else: Exporting food.

And when it comes to Danish food exports, Lineage plays a supporting role.

We store frozen products for our customers. For example, when the pork has passed the butcher and is waiting to arrive by ship, you put it packed and ready on a pallet in one of our freezers,

says Carsten Wolf, Regional Vice President for Lineage in the Nordic region.

Lineage is the world's largest company when it comes to storing temperature-controlled foods. They have more than 480 cold storage facilities worldwide, and 11 of them are located in Denmark.

In their cold storage facility at the Port of Aarhus, there are 27,000 pallet spaces, which are mainly used for storing pork and fish that need to be continued. Either out into the world, or into the country.

It's going well. Right now we don't have the capacity to take in more pallets, and you can't get more space at the Port of Aarhus. But there is no doubt that the Port of Aarhus is one of the most important ports in Denmark - also for us - and fortunately we have a fantastic cooperation,

says Carsten Wolf.

27,000 pallet spaces are a lot, so you need to be completely aware of what says where when, so that everything can move on time and not disappear in the crowd.

When it's butchery goods that arrive, we have a strong integration with customers' systems. We receive all data on the goods before they are delivered and in connection with delivery. It greatly helps to minimize errors and ensure a high level of food safety, must be stored.

The words are Jan Thorup Kristensen's. He is the general manager in Lineage's department in Aarhus and he has been in the business for 40 years.

And a lot has changed in that period.

Logistics have become smarter. In the freezing halls, employees drive in insulated trucks that can scan and read barcodes on pallets. This ensures that they end up in the right places and can be easily picked back up. And the employees keep warm, even if it may be cold in the halls,

he says.

But there are also certain aspects that are still the same. Pork is still stored at -18 degrees, while fish is at -25 degrees.

And the work is still as important as it was 40 years ago.

We ensure both the food supply and the quality. We do checks on everything that comes in. We even check the transport in which the pallets come, whether it is neat and clean, and whether the temperature is right. We have a great responsibility,

says Jan Thorup Kristensen.

Thoroughness plays a major role in the great success Danish food exports have had over the years. For the quality of the slaughterhouses does not matter much if the meat is not treated well on the journey to the world.

In Denmark, we benefit from the thoroughness, because Lineage also stores food that is on its way into the country. And here they work closely with both the authorities and Agriculture & Food.

We'll call them when we receive the containers. They have their own room with us where they can take samples,

says Jan Thorup Kristensen.

High demands are placed on both imports and exports when it comes to food.

And while it takes a lot from Lineage, it's not something that creates a bad atmosphere at the company - quite the opposite.

This is how it should be when we are dealing with food. And customers know that when they load their goods at Lineage, things like customs warehousing and food approvals are in place.

says Carsten Wolf.

Denmark is known for many things, and food is one of the major export commodities.

Therefore, it is important that there are no weaknesses in the chain when the pork goes from farmer to slaughterhouse, from slaughterhouse to Lineage, and from Lineage and out into the world.

I'm really proud of what we're doing. We are an important player throughout the supply chain and we have really skilled staff to deal with it. And it is extremely important

says Carsten Wolf.

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