Finland

Cellular agriculture could help create a sustainable food system in Finland

Image supplied.
Sustainability / Environment

Report: How Cellular Agriculture Could Make the Finnish Food System More Sustainable & Profitable

A new report by VTT Technical Research Center of Finland, Natural Resources Institute Finland, and the University of Helsinki has investigated the state of cellular agriculture in the country. At the request of the Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry and Business Finland, the authors list eight recommendations for policymakers, which include making investments in production-scale infrastructures and expediting and streamlining the EU’s regulatory process. According to the report, cellular agriculture is strategically important because it could boost economic growth, increase food self-sufficiency, and improve the strategic autonomy of Finland, along with the EU as a whole. The export potential for Finland is reported to be €500-1000 million by 2035, while infrastructure investments could open up opportunities for billions in exports of equipment, technology, and expertise. …

more

Solar Foods

© Solar Foods
Company News

Solar Foods Signs MoUs Regarding Commercialization of 6,000 Tonnes of Solein, While Fazer Launches Solein-Powered Products in the US

Solar Foods has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two international customers regarding the commercialization of 6,000 tonnes of its air-based protein, Solein, per year. The MoUs are a joint plan of the companies and outline the principles of the planned collaboration. Solar Foods has already been working with the companies on research and product development. If the collaboration leads to a binding agreement, the 6,000 tonne volume would correspond to approximately half the full production capacity of Solar Foods’ Factory 02, which is now in its pre-engineering phase and is aimed to be fully operational in 2030. The facility has an annual planned capacity of 12,800 tons, almost a hundred times that of the company’s Factory 01. “These agreements serve as compelling proof …

more

Organisations and brands:

Portrait of Jukka Kajan

Jukka Kajan, Executive Director of Plant Based Food Finland, Image supplied.
Interviews

Plant Based Food Finland: “We Seek to Create a More Level Playing Field With Traditional Food Products”

Jukka Kajan is the Executive Director of Plant Based Food Finland. In his current role, he leverages his extensive network and industry expertise, gained from a career in stakeholder relations and public affairs for food companies, as well as consulting on the dynamics of the plant-based food value chain. He is driven by the impact that plant-based foods and novel foodtech can have in building a more sustainable future. We spoke with Jukka Kajan about the organization’s mission to support and accelerate the growth of the plant-based food sector in Finland. In this interview, he shares insights into the country’s thriving plant-based industry, key market trends, and the challenges shaping its future. We also discuss Finland’s role as a leader in oat-based innovation, the policy changes …

more

Organisations and brands:

S Group

© Ronnie Hole/S Group
Retail & E-Commerce

Finnish Retailer S Group Reports Increase of Over 10% in Plant-Based Milk & Cheese Sales in January

Finnish grocery retailer S Group has reported a significant increase in sales of plant-based products following a successful campaign in January. This year, the group expanded its collaboration with Vegaanihaaste (the Vegan Challenge) to all its grocery stores, including S-market, Prisma, Sale, and Alepa. The challenge reportedly attracted a record number of participants. As a result, sales of plant-based milk and cheese products increased by more than 10 percent in January compared to a year ago. Meanwhile, sales of fava protein brand Härkis and alt dairy brand Oddlygood were up several dozen percent. Demand for fresh vegetables, frozen vegetables, and plant-based cooking products also rose compared to January last year; this was encouraged by the “Alle euron hevi” concept, which highlights produce that costs less …

more

Organisations and brands:

Enifer PEKILOPet

© Enifer
Fungi, Mushrooms & Mycelium

Study: Enifer’s PEKILO®Pet Mycoprotein Ingredient is Up to Seven Times More Carbon Efficient Than Soy Protein Concentrate

A new life cycle assessment by Finnish biotech company Enifer has found that the carbon footprint of the company’s proprietary mycoprotein ingredient, PEKILO®Pet, is significantly lower than that of many common pet food ingredients. The cradle-to-gate total carbon footprint of PEKILO®Pet, covering fossil, biogenic, land use, land use change, and forestry emissions, was found to be 0.93 kgCO₂e per kilogram of product. In contrast, soy protein concentrate can produce up to 6.7 kgCO₂e per kilogram, over seven times more. PEKILO®Pet is also said to outperform insect protein powder (1.149 kg CO₂e per kilogram), and conventional dry pet food ingredients such as lamb (5.84 kg CO₂e per kilogram). The production process accounts for 47% of PEKILO®Pet’s emissions, while raw materials account for 38% and transportation contributes …

more

Organisations and brands:

© Raisio Group / Kuvatehdas - Roni Lehti
Investments & Acquisitions

Raisio Sells Plant Protein Business to Finnish Dairy Giant Valio in €7M Deal

The food company Raisio will sell its plant protein business and the Härkis® and Beanit® brands, under which plant protein products have been marketed, to the Finnish dairy and food company Valio. The price of the deal is €7 million, which will be paid to Raisio in cash upon the transfer of the business. The companies have signed a purchase and sale agreement for the sale of the plant protein business, the related fixed assets and the Härkis® and Beanit® fava bean brands. The fixed assets include, among other things, the equipment of the factory producing plant protein products in Kauhava.  The plant protein business employs 16 people, who will be transferred to Valio as existing employees as part of the deal. Raisio has been a …

more

Organisations and brands:

Solar Foods

© Solar Foods
Approvals

Solar Foods Edges Closer to Regulatory Approval for Air-Based Protein in the EU

Finland’s Solar Foods is moving closer to regulatory approval in the EU after addressing inquiries from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) regarding the safety of its air-based protein, Solein. The company submitted its novel food application back in 2021, providing a detailed dossier containing manufacturing data, product information, and supporting scientific evidence. Solein is currently undergoing a comprehensive application process to ensure it is safe for consumption, not misleadingly labeled, and nutritionally suitable for its intended use. Solar Foods reports it has made significant progress in the EFSA application process, recently responding to inquiries based on data obtained from Solein produced at the company’s Factory 01 (reportedly the world’s first commercial air-based protein facility). Solar Foods is now awaiting a final scientific opinion, and …

more

Organisations and brands:

Rami Jokela Solar Foods

Rami Jokela © Solar Foods
Company News

Rami Jokela Appointed CEO of Solar Foods as Company Targets Global Markets

Solar Foods has announced the appointment of Rami Jokela as its new chief executive officer, effective April 1, 2025. Jokela, who brings extensive experience in scaling international businesses, will lead the company as it moves from research and development into global commercialization. Jokela succeeds founding CEO Pasi Vainikka, who has led the company since its inception. Vainikka will continue in an advisory role through the end of 2025 to support the leadership transition and oversee ongoing strategic initiatives. Jokela’s immediate focus will be on expanding Solar Foods’ presence in the Health & Performance Nutrition segment, with an emphasis on the US market. He is also tasked with implementing a new conceptual sales model, increasing product price points, and scaling production capacity at one of the …

more

Organisations and brands:

Fermented fats

Image supplied
Fermentation

Melt&Marble Partners With Valio to Develop Plant-Based Foods Containing Fermented Fats

Melt&Marble, a Swedish startup producing fat ingredients using precision fermentation, has partnered with major Finnish food company Valio to develop plant-based foods made with fermented fats. The long-term research collaboration will involve studying the properties of new types of fat produced by Melt&Marble, before commercializing plant-based foods containing the fats. These should have improved mouthfeel, structure, and succulence compared to existing plant-based alternatives. The fermented fats will need to gain novel foods approval to be sold on the European market, meaning it will take several years for the products to arrive on supermarket shelves. In the US, Melt&Marble’s products will undergo the FDA’s Generally Recognized as Safe notification process, which should allow for faster approval. Consequently, commercialization may begin in the US by the end …

more

Organisations and brands:

Happy Plant Protein team

© Timo Kauppila/Happy Plant Protein
Investments & Acquisitions

Happy Plant Protein Raises €1.8M for Technology Empowering Local Food Manufacturers to Produce Plant Protein

Happy Plant Protein, a spinout from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, has raised €1.8 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Nordic Foodtech VC. The round also saw participation from Butterfly Ventures and Business Finland via a grant. The funding will be used to further develop and license Happy Plant Protein’s patented technology, which allows for the production of high-quality plant proteins with existing extrusion machinery. The technology could empower local food manufacturers and brands to produce their own plant proteins, removing the need for imports. This would make plant proteins available with only minor investments and no regulatory hurdles, accelerating new product development and market entry. The process is also significantly more affordable than conventional methods of manufacturing plant protein isolates, since …

more

Organisations and brands:

Finnish biotech company Enifer announces that it has applied for regulatory approval from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to sell its flagship ingredient, PEKILO, in the EU market.

© Iiro Muttilainen
Company News

Enifer Breaks New Ground as First Nordic Firm to Seek Novel Food Approval for Mycoprotein

Finnish biotech company Enifer announces that it has applied for regulatory approval from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to sell its flagship ingredient, PEKILO, in the EU. The company claims to be the first Nordic company to apply for a mycoprotein under novel foods. This regulatory step marks a significant milestone in the company’s commercialization efforts, which recently secured funding to build a €33 million production facility, scheduled for production by the end of 2025. In addition to the EU approval, which could take several years, Enifer plans to pursue GRAS status in the US and novel food approval in Singapore. “We’re incredibly proud to continue the work that visionary scientists began in the 1980s and to take this vital step towards bringing PEKILO® to …

more

Organisations and brands:

Onego Bio_Bioalbumen whisk

© Onego Bio
Investments & Finance

Finnish Alternative Protein Firms Secure €10M for Collaborative R&D Projects From Business Finland

Business Finland has granted two Finnish projects — FoodID and FinBioFAB — 10 million euros in R&D funding to create alternative proteins and materials through research collaboration. The Finnish projects were accepted into the Global Centers program led by the US National Science Foundation (NSF), operated jointly by six countries aiming for breakthrough solutions to global challenges. This year’s funding call focused on the bioeconomy, with the main themes being biofoundries and biodiversity. Alternative proteins and cacao The FoodID project seeks to innovate sustainable processes by leveraging digital tools to produce alternative proteins and lipids using plants and fermentation. The aim is to create sustainable and healthy raw materials to improve global food systems. Finland’s VTT, the University of Helsinki, and companies Fazer, Valio, MeEat, Enifer, …

more

Finnish food tech company BioMush has developed solid-state fermentation technology using fungi to transform edible side streams and food waste into umami-flavored ingredients for plant-based foods.

Image courtesy of BioMush
Fermentation

BioMush Unveils Plug-and-Play Fermentation Tech to Turn Industry Sidestreams into Umami Ingredients

Finnish food tech company BioMush has developed solid-state fermentation technology using fungi to transform edible side streams and food waste into umami-flavored ingredients. The innovation targets food industry operators to help them address industrial waste while creating natural, clean-label flavoring solutions for plant-based foods. Outi Mäkinen, Tytti-Lotta Ojala, and Reetta Andolin founded BioMush in 2021 in Espoo. Under the leadership of CEO Kaisa Karhunen, the startup has raised $3.08 million to address the 14% of global food industry side streams wasted annually. The Finnish startup unveiled its first demo-scale bioreactor at the Future Food-Tech event in London. Karhunen shared in the announcement, “Our primary clients are food manufacturers that have both usable by-products and a need for flavor products. To our knowledge, we are the first and …

more

Organisations and brands:

Raisio Food Solutions' plant-based ready-to-use sauce with noodles on a white plate

© Raisio
Food & Beverage

Raisio Unveils New Plant-Based Offerings at SIAL 2024

Raisio, a Finnish food company with over eight decades of experience in health-focused, responsibly produced food, is set to showcase its latest plant-based innovations at SIAL 2024. Specializing in gluten-free oats and plant proteins, Raisio has earned a reputation in the oat industry and plant-based food sector as a provider of plant-based food solutions. Raisio launches shelf-stable plant-based Sauces for HoReCa At SIAL, Raisio will highlight its new Beanit® ready-to-use plant-based sauces, developed specifically for the B2B and HoReCa sectors. These sauces, made from fava beans and peas, offer a convenient solution for professional kitchens, as they are shelf-stable and can be used or heated with minimal preparation. The new products combine rich plant-based protein with flavorful sauces, designed to meet the growing demand for …

more

Organisations and brands:

Company News

The World’s Most Sustainable Protein ‘Solein’ Achieves GRAS Status, Heads for US Debut

Solar Foods announces that it has achieved self-affirmed Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status for its air-based protein Solein in the USA. This milestone will allow the company to introduce the novel ingredient, offering a new alternative to animal and plant proteins. Claimed as the most sustainable protein in the world, the company expects its debut by the end of 2024. The biotech explains that it conducted large-scale scientific research, and the results about food safety have been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. A panel of qualified experts has stated the product’s safety and intended use, explicitly detailing its application across various food categories and appropriate Solein concentrations. Juan Benitez-Garcia, Solar Foods’ CCO, comments, “Obtaining self-affirmed GRAS status is the first step towards entering the …

more

Organisations and brands:

Oddlygood cake

© Oddlygood
Interviews

Oddlygood: “Our Ambition is Always to Make ‘Odd’ the New Norm”

Originally founded in Finland as part of the Valio Group, Oddlygood is a plant-based food and beverage company known for its dairy-free alternatives such as plant-based milks, desserts, yogurts, and cheeses, with a focus on oat-based. After acquiring Nordic brand Planti in a strategic move almost a year ago, the brand has seen retail success in the UK as well as northern European markets, and previously launched its Barista Oat drink on the US market in 2022. This February, Oddlygood received a Product of the Year award in the UK, and was the only completely vegan brand on the 2024 shortlist. We spoke with Amanda Majer, Marketing Manager UK & Ireland at Oddlygood, to find out the secret to Oddlygood’s success that has led to …

more

Organisations and brands:

Solar Foods plans to list on the Nasdaq First North Growth Market Finland.

© Solar Foods
Company News

Solar Foods to List on Nasdaq, Bolstering Growth Plans for ‘Solein’ Air-Based Protein

Air-based protein developer Solar Foods announces plans to list on the Nasdaq First North Growth Market Finland. The listing is expected to occur in September as a technical listing without any share issue or sale. Based in Helsinki, the biotech has raised €69.6 million from various investors, including Fazer, Lifeline Ventures, Agronomics, CPT Capital, Voima Ventures, and various family office investment companies. According to the company, its more than 2,000 shareholders enable it to process the technical listing. In addition to private investments, Solar Foods has strong public financial support, securing €34 million from a potential €110 million grant. And this year, the company was granted the Nasdaq Green Equity Designation, making it the first Finnish private company to receive this recognition. Nasdaq Green Equity recognizes …

more

Organisations and brands:

Jukka Kajan of Plant Based Foods Finland

Jukka Kajan. © Plant Based Foods Finland
People

Plant Based Foods Finland Appoints First Executive Director to Strengthen Advocacy Efforts

Industry association Plant Based Foods Finland (Pro Vege in Finnish) has appointed its first executive director, Jukka Kajan. Previously, Kajan has worked as a food industry consultant and Public Affairs Manager at Raisio Group. Niklas Kaskeala, Chairman of the Board at Plant Based Foods Finland, says Kajan’s leadership will help to strengthen the association’s advocacy efforts. “We look forward to Nordic and European cooperation led by Jukka, who brings extensive knowledge of plant-based food value chains and is a well-connected and active advocate for food system transformation,” he says. In its first year, Plant Based Foods Finland has amassed 27 members, including all major retail chains in the country and participants from the restaurant sector, research institutions, and cellular agriculture. Kajan describes the number of …

more

Organisations and brands:

© Onego Bio
Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Onego Bio Secures $15.2M for Animal-Free Bio-Identical Egg Protein

US-Finnish precision fermentation company Onego Bio has secured $15.2 million in funding from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator Program and other Series A investors. This takes the amount raised by the company in 2024 to $55 million, and its total funding to $70.8 million. Onego Bio produces Bioalbumen®, an animal-free bio-identical egg protein manufactured as an industrial food ingredient. Bioalbumen is said to have perfect protein quality, full functionality, and a neutral flavor; it could also alleviate the environmental burden of conventional egg production by as much as 90%, while providing a stable supply. This is likely to be very attractive to manufacturers, since chicken eggs have been plagued by supply chain issues in recent years. Commercialization Onego says it is focusing on commercializing …

more

Organisations and brands:

Alex Crisp discusses eggs with Maija from Onego Bio

© Future of Foods
Egg Alternatives

Future of Foods Podcast: Maija Itkonen, CEO of Onego Bio Produces Bio-Identical Egg Proteins Without Chickens

Alex Crisp, host of Future of Foods Interviews, talks to Maija Itkonen, CEO and co-founder of Finnish precision fermentation company Onego Bio, about manufacturing real egg white protein, entirely without the use of chickens, which as Maija explains, are the most abused animal in the world. Onego Bio produces Bioalbumen, which the company says is bioidentical ovalbumin, the most important protein in egg white, delivering the nutritional and functional qualities of traditional eggs. The product was a winner in Fast Company’s 2023 World Changing Ideas Awards, with Bioalbumen named the Winner of the Food category and a Finalist in the Agriculture category. This April, the company raised $40 million in one of the largest Series A rounds in the Nordics, with the fresh funds being …

more

Organisations and brands:

load more