Annual Report 2001 - Carlsberg Group

Corporate Supply Chain
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activities, including audits at the breweries and
suppliers as well as certificate agreements with
both parties. Product quality is monitored through
extensive control at the production sites supplemented
with a centralised taste panel function in
Copenhagen, which assesses whether the flavour
of the Group’s products worldwide is satisfactory
and uniform – in line with consumer expectations.
Furthermore, various tools are used to assure
high quality at the breweries, including a statistical
process control system developed by the Group
with its own reporting system QC/SPC as well as
an internal ring analysis system called Carlsberg
Inter Laboratory Analysis Scheme (CILAS).
An executive forum – Carlsberg Breweries’
Quality Council – which consists of representatives
from the Executive Board, Supply Chain and
markets of a substantial size, establishes the general
quality requirements for the Group’s products
and determines the guidelines for production
of the company’s brands.
Innovation
In addition to the ongoing efforts to improve quality
and production technology, Carlsberg Breweries
considers the development of new products to
be a key activity, among other things to ensure
general consumer interest in beer. Several products
have been launched in the local markets during
the year, including Semper Ardens in the Danish
market. Semper Ardens is a line of exclusive,
specialty products brewed from carefully selected
raw materials and bottled on 70 cl bottles. Semper
Ardens is one of brewer J.C. Jacobsen’s latin
phrases and means “always burning”. It reflects
the brewer’s dedication to the craft of brewing.
Packaging innovation focuses both on primary
and secondary packaging development. This has
resulted in new packaging types within beer and
soft drinks, and new types will be added. The
PEN bottle is one example of a successful introduction
of a new packaging type – it has proven
itself as more than a passing fad and in several
markets it is there to stay.
In future, an important task will be to sharpen
the definition of the production process for branded
Carlsberg beer. These efforts will be lifted in
cooperation with the Carlsberg Research Center.
The Environment
In 2001, all breweries in which Carlsberg holds the
controlling interest have worked on developing local
environmental management as well as ensuring
compliance with Carlsberg Breweries’ environmental
requirements. During the year,
improvements have been realised through reductions
in energy, electricity and water consumption.
Apart from an improvement in the operating economy,
this has also resulted in a reduction in waste
water and solid waste disposal.
The responsibility for the upgrading processes
lies with the individual breweries whereas Carlsberg
Corporate Supply Chain examines whether
the goals are actually achieved through regular
visits, training and measurements.
In May 2001, an environmental conference was
held with broad participation from the environmental
managers of the Group and this exchange
of experience has strengthened local environmental
efforts.
In June 2001, Carlsberg Breweries published
its first environmental report, covering the period
1998/1999 and 1999/2000 in 35 breweries. The
report documented improvements in the consumption
of energy, electricity and water and set
out prioritised goals for the year ahead.
Carlsberg Breweries experienced no major environmental
accidents or industrial injuries in 2001,
and the breweries will continue their efforts to
establish preventive measures.
In the year ahead, Carlsberg Breweries will
work on obtaining certification of its own breweries
in keeping with international environmental
standards.
Danbrew
Danbrew Ltd. provides services to the Carlsberg
Group breweries and the international brewery in-