BUSINESS / PRESS RELEASE
Dutch dairy full chain management ensures quality and safety
On September 22, a seminar on "From Grass to Glass" Dutch Dairy Full-chain Management was held in Beijing. Hosted by the Dutch Dairy Association (NZO) and the China Nutrition and Health Food Association (CNHFA), and supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in China, the seminar brought together experts and industry representatives from both countries. FrieslandCampina and Friso were highlighted as a models of the Dutch dairy industry's full-chain management, featuring more than 3,000 analyses to ensure quality and safety.
The Netherlands is China's second-largest source of dairy imports, with imports reaching $2.03 billion in 2025, and its largest source of imported infant formula, accounting for 36 percent of the market. Dairy has become an important bond in China-Netherlands cooperation.
Tsjeard Hoekstra, Chargé d'Affaires at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to China, said, "The Dutch dairy industry is renowned worldwide for its efficiency, sustainability, and stringent quality standards. Behind this reputation is a comprehensive governance system from grass to glass."
The Importance, Safety, and Scarcity of Dairy Full-Chain Management
Liu Meiju, Vice Chairman of the China Dairy Industry Association, emphasized, "Full-chain dairy management spans agriculture, manufacturing, and distribution - three major industries with an extremely long chain, numerous variables, and very low tolerance for error. If any link gets out of control, it can trigger systemic risks. Achieving closed-loop management 'from grass to glass' is difficult and we have to be meticulous."
The Dutch dairy industry's global reputation rests on three pillars: the cooperative model, the "Golden Triangle" of government-academia-industry collaboration, and the G2G full-chain management model.
Representing 13 Dutch dairy companies and covering about 98 percent of the Netherlands' milk processing volume, the Dutch Dairy Association (NZO) plays a key role. Kenneth van Halewijn, Market Access Manager at NZO, explained, "The core of Dutch dairy full-chain management is to integrate quality and food safety management throughout the entire process of farm-cow-raw milk-transport-processing-final products. The entire chain and exports are directly supervised by the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) and the Netherlands Authority for Dairy and Eggs (COKZ). NZO also carries out monitoring projects beyond government requirements. The raw milk of our member companies, such as Royal FrieslandCampina must undergo over 1,000 analyses, before and after transport, at an independent third-party laboratory coordinated by the NZO."
Karel van Bommel, Agricultural Counselor at the Dutch Embassy in China, added, "The Netherlands was the first country to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on-site verification cooperation for infant formula product recipe registration with China's State Administration for Market Regulation. This fully reflects the high trust of Chinese authorities in the Dutch dairy management system."
3,000+ quality checkpoints across the full chain
Royal FrieslandCampina shared its practical experience. FrieslandCampina, the largest dairy company in the Netherlands, is one of the few cooperative dairy companies globally. About 70 percent of Dutch farms are FrieslandCampina's member farms, and its more than 15,000 member dairy farmers are both farm owners and cooperative members. Over 150 years, the company and its dairy farmers have jointly accumulated farming knowledge and iterated professional experience.
Sean Zhang, Managing Director of FrieslandCampina Specialized Nutrition China, said, "Friso products truly achieve full-chain self-control and traceability from our own farms and raw milk quality inspection to transportation, production, and finished products. The quality control of our infant formula products includes more than 3,000 analyses, especially more than 2,000 analyses before the production stage."
Jade Xue Chief Marketing Officer of FrieslandCampina Specialized Nutrition China, said, "The farm system includes more than 1,300 analyses covering water, soil, grass, ecology, climate, and cow health. The raw milk and transportation system includes more than 1,000 analyses, including more than 900 residue and contaminant screenings. The factory production system includes more than 1,000 quality and safety controls. Final products pass strict import and export inspections and are connected to a full-process traceability system. Consumers can scan the QR code at the bottom of the tin to check full life-cycle information and inspection certificates."
Gordon Yang, Corporate Affairs Director of FrieslandCampina China, added, "Relying on FrieslandCampina's own ingredients business, many key dairy ingredients in Friso, such as lactose, whey, lactoferrin, and prebiotics, have achieved independent and self-controlled production, fundamentally eliminating potential risks in external supply chains."
In the first half of 2026, FrieslandCampina China's infant formula business maintained steady growth. According to Nielsen IQ data, Friso's market share ranked third at 10.0 percent, an increase of 87 basis points compared with the first half of 2025, ranking first among international brands.
This seminar provided a high-level dialogue platform for the Chinese and Dutch dairy industries. From Dutch dairy full-chain management wisdom to FrieslandCampina's over 150 years of practice and Friso's quality commitment, a path of protecting consumer trust through full-chain control is clearly visible.
G2G Cooperation Initiative is launched to promote high-quality dairy development on September 22 Photo:FrieslandCampina
The Netherlands is China's second-largest source of dairy imports, with imports reaching $2.03 billion in 2025, and its largest source of imported infant formula, accounting for 36 percent of the market. Dairy has become an important bond in China-Netherlands cooperation.
Dutch Dairy Full-Chain Management Seminar was successfully held on September 22 Photo:FrieslandCampina
Tsjeard Hoekstra, Chargé d'Affaires at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to China, said, "The Dutch dairy industry is renowned worldwide for its efficiency, sustainability, and stringent quality standards. Behind this reputation is a comprehensive governance system from grass to glass."
Tsjeard Hoekstra, Chargé d'Affaires at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in China, delivers the opening speech Photo:FrieslandCampina
The Importance, Safety, and Scarcity of Dairy Full-Chain Management
Liu Meiju, Vice Chairman of the China Dairy Industry Association, emphasized, "Full-chain dairy management spans agriculture, manufacturing, and distribution - three major industries with an extremely long chain, numerous variables, and very low tolerance for error. If any link gets out of control, it can trigger systemic risks. Achieving closed-loop management 'from grass to glass' is difficult and we have to be meticulous."
Liu Meiju, Vice Chairman of CDIA, shares an overview of China's dairy industry and its full-chain practices Photo:FrieslandCampina
The Dutch dairy industry's global reputation rests on three pillars: the cooperative model, the "Golden Triangle" of government-academia-industry collaboration, and the G2G full-chain management model.
Kenneth van Halewijn, NZO Market Access Manager, shares the Dutch dairy industry's full-chain management experience Photo:FrieslandCampina
Representing 13 Dutch dairy companies and covering about 98 percent of the Netherlands' milk processing volume, the Dutch Dairy Association (NZO) plays a key role. Kenneth van Halewijn, Market Access Manager at NZO, explained, "The core of Dutch dairy full-chain management is to integrate quality and food safety management throughout the entire process of farm-cow-raw milk-transport-processing-final products. The entire chain and exports are directly supervised by the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) and the Netherlands Authority for Dairy and Eggs (COKZ). NZO also carries out monitoring projects beyond government requirements. The raw milk of our member companies, such as Royal FrieslandCampina must undergo over 1,000 analyses, before and after transport, at an independent third-party laboratory coordinated by the NZO."
Karel van Bommel, Agricultural Counselor of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in China, presents a Dutch Dairy industry overview Photo:FrieslandCampina
Karel van Bommel, Agricultural Counselor at the Dutch Embassy in China, added, "The Netherlands was the first country to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on-site verification cooperation for infant formula product recipe registration with China's State Administration for Market Regulation. This fully reflects the high trust of Chinese authorities in the Dutch dairy management system."
3,000+ quality checkpoints across the full chain
Royal FrieslandCampina shared its practical experience. FrieslandCampina, the largest dairy company in the Netherlands, is one of the few cooperative dairy companies globally. About 70 percent of Dutch farms are FrieslandCampina's member farms, and its more than 15,000 member dairy farmers are both farm owners and cooperative members. Over 150 years, the company and its dairy farmers have jointly accumulated farming knowledge and iterated professional experience.
Sean Zhang, Managing Director of Specialized Nutrition China, FrieslandCampina, introduces FrieslandCampina's full-chain management practices "From Grass to Glass" Photo:FrieslandCampina
Sean Zhang, Managing Director of FrieslandCampina Specialized Nutrition China, said, "Friso products truly achieve full-chain self-control and traceability from our own farms and raw milk quality inspection to transportation, production, and finished products. The quality control of our infant formula products includes more than 3,000 analyses, especially more than 2,000 analyses before the production stage."
Jade Xue, Chief Marketing Officer of Specialized Nutrition China, FrieslandCampina, introduces Friso's 3,000+ quality control steps Photo:FrieslandCampina
Jade Xue Chief Marketing Officer of FrieslandCampina Specialized Nutrition China, said, "The farm system includes more than 1,300 analyses covering water, soil, grass, ecology, climate, and cow health. The raw milk and transportation system includes more than 1,000 analyses, including more than 900 residue and contaminant screenings. The factory production system includes more than 1,000 quality and safety controls. Final products pass strict import and export inspections and are connected to a full-process traceability system. Consumers can scan the QR code at the bottom of the tin to check full life-cycle information and inspection certificates."
Gordon Yang, Senior Vice President of FrieslandCampina China, introduces Friso's self-control of multiple key dairy ingredients Photo:FrieslandCampina
Gordon Yang, Corporate Affairs Director of FrieslandCampina China, added, "Relying on FrieslandCampina's own ingredients business, many key dairy ingredients in Friso, such as lactose, whey, lactoferrin, and prebiotics, have achieved independent and self-controlled production, fundamentally eliminating potential risks in external supply chains."
In the first half of 2026, FrieslandCampina China's infant formula business maintained steady growth. According to Nielsen IQ data, Friso's market share ranked third at 10.0 percent, an increase of 87 basis points compared with the first half of 2025, ranking first among international brands.
This seminar provided a high-level dialogue platform for the Chinese and Dutch dairy industries. From Dutch dairy full-chain management wisdom to FrieslandCampina's over 150 years of practice and Friso's quality commitment, a path of protecting consumer trust through full-chain control is clearly visible.
