Van Loon Group is the market leader in meat and convenience, making sustainable food accessible to everyone by acting as a chain orchestrator. For pork, we achieve this through our innovative chain program called "Varken op z'n Best" (Pork at its Best). This program follows a comprehensive chain approach. We enhance animal health and welfare, reduce pressure on nature and the environment, and improve the quality of the meat. We collaborate with chain partners to establish a transparent and fair distribution of the chain margin, including supporting the earnings model of the pig farmers. Together, we ensure that sustainable meat remains affordable.
Objective: Pork at its Best
The aim of Varken op z’n Best (Pork at its Best) is to improve the quality of pork and make the chain transparent, sustainable and manageable. Varken op z’n Best is based on an integrated approach that involves all links in the chain and focuses on four pillars: (1) Integrated chain approach and revenue model, (2) Animal welfare and animal health, (3) Environment and nature, and (4) Meat quality.
Pillar 1: Integrated chain approach and revenue model
Van Loon Group believes in an integrated approach throughout the entire chain. We choose a limited number of chain partners per link and, as chain director, focus on active cooperation between all links. This enables us to support the pig farmer's revenue model and quickly implement market and consumer demands. Our goal is to achieve a fair and equitable distribution of the chain margin so that all chain partners can continue to innovate and invest in further sustainability.
.png) | Established genetics The farmer works with one of the selected VOB boar lines that meet the desired carcass specifications. |
.png) | Established feeding concept The daily feed ration is determined based on the animal's nutrient requirements in accordance with the guidelines in the feeding manual for the selected boar line. |
| Uniform veterinary supervision: Preventive (preventative) and curative (healing) care monitor animal welfare, animal health, public health and food safety. |
 | Coaching & guidance Support from the Pig Advisory Team (VAT): veterinarian, feed supplier, pig farmer, livestock coordinator. |
 | Established genetics The farmer works with one of the selected VOB boar lines that meet the desired carcass specifications. |
 | Established feeding concept The daily feed ration is determined based on the animal's nutrient requirements in accordance with the guidelines in the feeding manual for the selected boar line. |
 | Uniform veterinary supervision Preventive (preventative) and curative (healing) care monitor animal welfare, animal health, public health and food safety. |
 | Coaching & guidance Support from the Pig Advisory Team (VAT): veterinarian, feed supplier, pig farmer, livestock coordinator. |
Pilar 2: Animal Welfare and Animal Health
The basis for the Pig at its Best concept is the Better Life Pig 1-star quality mark. All participating pig farmers and slaughterhouses in our chain are certified for this. Pig at its Best strives for high animal health standards, with requirements in areas such as antibiotic use, salmonella and slaughter abnormalities. Future developments in animal welfare, such as free-range farrowing pens and uncut pig tails, are important components of this pillar.
Pilar 3: Environment and Nature
Pork at its Best is an environmentally conscious chain that actively engages in sustainable activities that contribute to reducing the impact of the pork chain on the environment, climate and nature. We focus in particular on reducing the carbon footprint, increasing the circularity of animal feed and promoting biodiversity.
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Pilar 4: Meat Quality
Within Pig at its Best, the focus is on managing robust, healthy pigs, resulting in better (technical) results on the pig farm and a high-quality, uniform carcass quality. Uniform use of genetics (boar line) and tailored feed rations, combined with a uniform approach led by the Pig Advisory Team (VAT), leads to consistent carcass quality and better meat quality for buyers and consumers.
Our chain partners
Organisational structure Pig at its Best
External Independent Specialist
My name is Imelda Gielen – van de Kruijs. I was born and raised on the Krakehoeve farm in Weert, a mixed farm with beef cattle and pigs. This is where my passion for the agricultural sector was instilled in me from an early age. After studying Animal Sciences in Wageningen, I worked in the compound feed sector for 16 years, the last 11 of which as a quality manager. Since 2017, I have been working as an independent consultant under the name Qraak. I now enjoy applying my knowledge and experience in the field of animal feed, quality management, food safety and product integrity to various links in the chain. My clients range from trade associations, compound feed producers, poultry farmers and their suppliers to the processing industry. Among other things, I am the independent chair of VoederWaarde.nl and co-initiator of SecurEggFarmer. The same passion for the agricultural sector is evident in all links of the chain. Everywhere, people are looking for ways to maintain a sustainable future perspective together in these turbulent times. The sector is under scrutiny. Transparency and reliability are therefore our greatest assets.
For some time now, I have also been involved as an independent advisor at VOB to give substance to the term sustainability in relation to feed. Where are the opportunities and possibilities, and how can you, together with the feed partners, ensure that the VOB conditions within the chain are clear to everyone? The aim is for the partners to implement the sustainability objectives in a transparent and reliable manner. Pig at its Best is a wonderful chain concept to which I am happy to contribute!
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