4 The editorial
Only the highest quality is good enough. During the good barbecue season the demand on processed meat products rose and the consumers confidence in domestic food products grows all the time. The consumers chose more often cheaper products and therefore the global recession affects all the more the meat branch. We shall hope that practicing strict economy does not influence the quality of the products and that the producers instead intensify their production.
- By developing new innovative products of high quality the assortment is enlarged and the collaboration between the entrepreneurs is intensified, stresses Seppo Korpela, Md at the meat processing plant Korpela.
9 The Finnish Food Safety Authority EVIRA focuses on risk assessment
Elvira’s risk assessment work is focused on the safety of foodstuffs. According to Evira risk assessment functions well in the food branch thanks to the auto control. The assessment concentrates on the safety of foodstuffs derived from animals and plants. Pirkko Tuominen, Senior Researcher at the unit of risk assessment is of the opinion that the meat companies have handled their risk assessment praiseworthy.
- The entrepreneurs in the meat branch have worked with risk assessment and self control already for a long time and they know the risks and how to handle them, stresses Tuominen.
In USA they concentrate risk assessment on ready products, which means that minced meat is radiated in order to eliminate pathogenic microbes, the method is forbidden in Finland.
In Europe one focuses on the primary production; pure feed, healthy animals, hygienic boning rooms and slaughterhouses, explains Tuominen.
At the meat house Snellman self control is a matter of course.
- During our slaughter activities Eviras veterinary is always present, supervising that auto control is carried out, stresses quality co-ordinator Raija Lillqvist.
Last year Snellman acquired the food safety management system ISO 22000 what shows that their auto control is fulfilled. At Snellman they continuously control that the raw material does not contain antibiotics, EHEC-microbes or salmonella.
- The supervision must be efficient and speedy. The defects concerning hygiene, temperature, marking, the content or the appearance of the product must easily be put right, explains Raija Lillqvist.
12 Our eating habits have changed during the recession
We consume less snacks and eat more real food and go more often out to lunch. During the Foodstuff Day Jochen Pinsker lectured about international trends within the feeding branch. The expensive restaurants suffer most of the recession. The consumers prefer quick lunches and fast food eateries, canteens and attach importance to price/quality. They eat the main course and drop starters, desserts and more expensive beverages. Fast food is a rapidly growing trend whereas healthy meals are making no progress.
14 Should locally produced food be put on the markets more efficiently?
Several restaurants serve locally produced food and seasonal delicacies but to the shelves of the markets and to the institutional kitchens their way is still long. Irma Kärkkäinen, spokesman for locally produced food, points out the reason.
- There is no delivery chain and the attitude of those who are responsible for the acquisitions is negative.
Kärkkäinen is dairy farmer and on their settlement her husband processes milk to cheese and ice cream. Kärkkäinen works also as lecturer at Savo Vocational College and leads her enterprise EkoCenter.
- During three years we have worked with a project that activates institutional kitchens and the decision-makers in the municipality to use more locally produced foodstuffs in the feeding. The consumers like locally produced food and consider it pure, fresh and healthy and that it guarantees the occupation.
18 Raymond Tuominen - 30 years in the branch
If you not have heard about Raymond Tuominen then you are rather new in the meat branch. Raymond, expert on legislation, spends today his time motor biking, preparing food and with consulting assignment. Raymond, better known as Mondo, is biochemist and worked first at Alkos laboratory in Helsinki. 1957 he became researcher at the Finnish Meat Research Institute in Hämeenlinna, where Matti Pohja was chef of the laboratory.
- All I know about meat I have learned from Matti Pohja. He wrote for me a list on the literature I should read. In the 80:ties we did the first investigations about stress meat and transportations of slaughter animals but chiefly the research concerned methods of production, tells Mondo.
The work changed when Finland joined EU.
- Then we developed the food legislation. Today our establishments and plants are on EU-level and the industry has been able to adjust their products to the allowed percentage of salt, points Raymond Tuominen out.
22 The meat grinder
The Sre project promotes the Finnish food culture. During spring 50 applications arrived, 11 were chosen. For instance the Taste school concept, Jamming with bread rolls and TV programs for children.
The chosen contributions promote school meals and meals in day nurseries, stresses Sres secretary-general Marja Innanen. The project has got about 600 000 euro in allowance and is realized from autumn 2009 to the end of 2010. The tables. The production, consumption, import and export of meat and poultry during January-June. The institutional kitchens measure their energy consumption. Most kitchens work not knowing how much energy they use. In the middle of May the institutional kitchen of Metos became an energy effectiveness laboratory. All the machinery in the kitchen was equipped with meters that in detail showed the energy that was consumed. Arvo Lintunen, chef at Metos, tells that the measurements very soon showed were the energy was used and how one could cut down the consumption. Ruokatieto is published in September. Suomen Gallup - Food and Farm Facts periodical Ruokatietoa 2009 is a survey concerning the production and consumption of foodstuffs. It informs about Finlands and partly of EU:s population structure, use of time, food industry, food and grocery trade, institutional kitchens, the food supply and prices. Snellman grows in Sweden. Snellman bought 75 % of Caroilnes kök Ab:s share-capital and merged it with Gefle Ångkökthat that is in their possession. The united turnover is about 10 million euro and it employs about 50 persons. The clarification inquiry of foodstuffs is done. Strayed knowledge about clarification is compiled in the report. The inhabitants of Helsinki can enjoy the delicacies of small producers. The Eat & Joy Market operates in Helsinki. Small producers offer, cheese, buttermilk, ecological flour, ray bread, vegetables, root vegetables, mushrooms, fish and roe products. Drainage and odour problems are just a memory. For about ten years the product Zep Canazin Forte has been on the market. It takes ecologically care of odour and pipe problems caused by fat of animal origin. A year without tenderloins. Svensk Köttinformation, the Swedish Meat Information, speaks for cheaper meat and how to prepare homely fare. In Sweden the Scandinavian homely fare has already for a long time been a trend and is served at the best restaurants. Dishes as Meatsoup, Mutton with dill sauce and several Casseroles are cocked on foreloin, breast and shoulder. The bones and the long preparing times give the courses the right taste. The recipe of the month: Sausage-bean risotto.
26. Poultry products are growing in popularity
The Finns consume daily both sausages and cold cuts. Most popular are smoked ham, Finnish barbecue sausages and cold cuts. 97 % of the Finns consume cold cuts and sausages and 66 % eat them daily, men more often than women. Most consume men 35-54 years of age. In the capital region the consumption is somewhat lower and there live also consumers that do not consume cold cuts and sausages at all. Every third consumer compensates cold cuts with vegetables, cheese and fish. This investigation was made by Food and Farm Facts and ordered by the Meat Information. The inquiry was answered by 1208 persons, over16 years of age. 1083 persons were responsible for the purchases in their household.
28 The Sausage Champion of the year comes from HK
A traditional Finnish barbecue sausage - HK:s Kabanossi Original - won the nation-wide Sausage Competion. The jury was of the opinion that Kabanossi Original is tender, has a tradition taste, is easy to grill, delicious simply tasted with mustard. Second came Pajuniemis Helsinkiwursti and third Herkkujalostes Tukkijätkämakkara - Forest workers sausage. Entrepreneur Veijo Votkin took for the firs time part in the competition and won the class Special Sausages with their Moosechorizon. The jury was of the opinion that the chorizon was very tasty and internationally seasoned. Makulihas Härkätie came second and third came Jämis Grillbratwursti.
31 Anuga Meat in Cologne in Octobre
The Anuga Fair is held for the 30. time 10.-14. October on 200.000 square meters. About 700 entrepreneurs in the meat branch present their new products for the industry and catering branch. Today the greatest challenge of the meat branch is to predict how the branch will develop in the nearest future. The meat branch exhibits in the Koelnmessen halls 5,6, and 7 on about 5500 square meters. In all about 6000 entrepreneurs from about 100 countries take part in the exhibition, 80% come from abroad.
32 The thermal calorific value of plastic is higher than that of oil
In Finland about 50 000 tons plastic packages end yearly on tips and the same amount is utilized. Concerning utilization we are second rate in EU. Coincide with that new waste establishments are taken into use we soon can be among the countries that best utilize plastic waste. Vesa Kärhä md at the Finnish Plastics Recovery Ltd. is optimistic. In his opinion the utilization of plastic waste has grown, both the re-utilization and the burning that produces warmth and electricity. He points out that it is no use to recycle very dirty packages.
- The cheapest method is to reduce the use of plastic packages and continuously develop new that are thinner than those we have today, stresses Kärhä.
34 The transportations of animals are in order
The new directives concerning transportations of animals have been in force for two years. The directives protect the animals from hurting themselves, from diseases and sufferings. Stressed and injured animals involve always a loss. An old saying tells that from the quality of meat one can tell who had been driving the car.
- The driver is responsible for the well being of the animals during the transport, tells Kalla Kähkönen who operates the enterprise Kähkösen kuljetusliike – Kähkönens transport business - together with his father Raimo, his brother Rami and two employees. An experienced lorry-driver loads his car so that all animals have enough space.
- Is there even one animal too much it must wait for the next transport, stresses Kalle.
The acquisition of a modern cattle-car is a big expense, about 200 000 – 270 000 euro. In the cattle-car there is an elevator, scales, partitioning gates, camera supervision, air-conditioning, and automatic temperature control. In EU the directives concerning animal transportations are improving, especially one wants to promote the efficiency of the supervision.
36 H-Hetki is a flexible companion
H-Hetki is a many sided enterprise that is specialized in product development. 75% per cent of the production is ordered by the horeca sector. In spring 2005 meat technologist Janne Räsänen and chef Marrku Gorski bought two enterprises: Hyvinkään Palvi and Kauko Gourmet and founded H-hetki. The enterprise has 12 employees and works as a subcontractor.
- According to their own recipes we produce products that the horeca branch orders. Thus they can avoid stressful situations and concentrate on service and waiting, explains Janne Räsänen.
The restaurants and the catering enterprises value the efficient cold chain and the uniform quality of the food industry. Mostly H-Hetki uses Finnish meat but it also imports pork from Denmark, beef from Holland and duck from France.
- We know the right people so we get duck, pigeon, red deer, wild boar, guinea-fowl and beef from Argentina of best quality at a reasonable price, clarifies Räsänen.
38 Appointments
Denis Mattson has per 23.6.2009 been appointed Scan Ab:s Md and member of HKScans managerial body. Miia Lappalainen has per 4.6.2009 been appointed as Leipuri Oy:s sales secretary for the Finnish Bakery Industry. Ari Nopanen has been appointed Md for Pro Agria Meat Competence center.
39 Ireland wants to enter the Finnish meat market
Up to now we have imported small amounts of Irish lamb and beef but the import will grow considerably next year. Director Frank Murray from Irelands Meat Industry Association Bord Bia, tells that Finland for Irishmen is a new and interesting market.
- The Finnish buyers have get into touch with us. In Finland there is a demand for lamb and beef from Ireland and we produce seven times more than we consume ourselves, explains Murray.
The slogan - Ireland – The Food Iland - is not a pure invention. Last year Ireland exported meat for 2,4 milliard euro to for instance England, France, Italy, Holland and Sweden.
Factory manager Michael Kelly at Kepak Group is convinced that the Irish meat will rapidly conquer Europe. Kepak is the grates meat processor in Ireland and slaughters and packages 400 000 cattle/yearly and one million lamb/yearly. The demand for ecological meat is bigger than Kapak can supply, therefore Kepak has a project that aims to heighten the production of ecological meat.
42 Korpela has increased their capacity
The meat entrepreneur Korpela has five times increased the production of ready to eat food. The localities have been enlarged and a fully automatic production line has been built. The premises were enlarged from 1500- 2500 square meters and the production capacity grew from 25 000 – 35 000 kg/day. Md Seppo Korpela estimates the investment to 2,5 million euro, over ten per cent of Korpelas turn over of about 21 million euro.
- With two production lines the productivity improves and the capacity is sufficient also for larger projects. We have a good collaboration with Finnish and foreign food chains, tells factory manager Petri Natunen.
44 Index of services
54 The column
Columnist Sakari Nupponen, editor at the evening paper Ilta-Sanomat, writes this time about the person behind the product.
Once again the appointment the “Sausage Champion of the Year” was given to an enterprise. Next year it is about time a person should win it. That was the opinion of the jury. Also Arto Jokinen Md at Pajuniemi was of the same opinion. Today the competition has two classes: Traditional Finnish Barbecue Sausages and Special Sausages. Several sausages do not belong to these classes. Five classes should be a good solution.
1. Traditional Finnish grill sausages
2. Spiced grill sausages
3. Special grill sausages
4. Grain-, blood- and potato sausages
5. Fish-, vegetable-, mushroom-, soya- and other sausages
In every class one participant should get a diploma and among the finalists the winner should be chosen. Every year there could also be as special competition for instance concerning healthy, ecological, raw- or homemade sausages, suggests Sakari Nupponen.
55 Facts on meat
Markus Yli-Hemminki from the Finnish Meat Research Institute informs about game. Moose was the most important game in the year 2007 (shot 62 557), white-tailed deer (22 623), alpine hare (209 000), wild duck (210 000), great grouse, (176 000). In the year 2007 game gave 11 million kg meat of which 8 million kg was moose. The value of the game was 60 million euro.
Translation: Nina Hackman.
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