Slaughter process under pressure due to CO2 shortage

Due to high gas prices, the production of fertilizer is lagging behind. Because this makes residual product CO2 difficult to supply, the slaughter process is in danger of going awry. The Central Organization for the Meat Sector (COV) calls on governments to intervene.

During the production of fertilizer, a pure form of CO2 remains. This is an important residual product for meat processing, because CO2 is used in the chain in two crucial ways. For example, pigs are stunned with the residual product before slaughter. When CO2 shortages arise, the slaughter process therefore stagnates. Perhaps an even bigger bottleneck is the cooling of products, in which CO2 is often used.

Cooling takes place at many points in the chain, explains Dé van de Riet, spokesperson for the COV. Meat must be cooled immediately after the slaughter process. But meat is also kept at a low temperature during transport to the supermarket, in supermarket storage and possibly during home delivery. That is why a lot of CO2 is needed for cooling. "I understand that there are already supermarkets that are slowing down with their delivery services because they can no longer transport frozen products," says Van de Riet.

Call on the government
The meat sector has already had to contend with CO2 shortages before. "Then the problems turned out to be not too bad, but now the situation is really different," says the COV spokesperson. Because the entire sector produces much less fertilizer, the shortages are large-scale. This threatens serious problems. "Because if you don't have CO2, you just can't work." 

That is why the COV indicates that it will make the problems known to governments. The COV is sounding the alarm at the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality in particular, but also at other levels, says Van de Riet. The problem is also on the map in Brussels. The CO2 shortage is not a strictly Dutch problem, but also affects the countries around us.

Matthew Bremer

Order Boerenbusiness Matthijs Bremer covers the meat markets. He also writes weekly about developments in the energy markets.

m.bremer@foodbusiness.nl

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