4 The editorial.
Also specializing has its limits. The consumer prices have always risen, sometimes faster, sometimes slower. In Finland the consumer prizes on meat have about ten years, since we joined EU, been under the index of the year 1995. In order to save the small entrepreneurs in the still harder competition they are recommended to specialize. For them it is not profitable to produce bulk products that flood the markets. Now the prizes are rising and this development seems to continue.
- In the middle of May I visited the Parma district in Northern Italy and there I saw a considerable specialization. In the district there are innumerable producers of ham. They look very modest but the production is intense and energetic. We visited for example the famous company Perla (The Pearl). They were drying 50 000 hams and the value of the stock is said to be about 5 million euro. The producer loved his product and of course he also told us how the climate influences his product. Believe that if you like!
- We meet at the Summer Meeting of the Finnish Meat Trade Association on Saturday the16. of August in Levi, invites chief editor Veli Saarenheimo.

6 Drop useless directives.
If we in the future wish to have a prosperous countryside with small entrepreneurs producing local products then we have to check our legislation says Jorma Hirn, Deputy Director General at the Finnish Food Safety Authority EVIRA. All directives more rigid than those of EU should be dropped and at the same time the producers ought to make their auto control more efficient. Eviras supervision works with the county administrative board. The aim is that the legislation shall be identical all over the country. Today Jorma Hirn sees differences in the supervision of the municipalities. One reason can be lack of resources. The municipalities have the right to decide how they use their money.
Next year Evira will arrange about 200 days of training. The most important change for the meat branch is the new municipal merger because the most important operative contact of a company is the super visional authority of the municipality.
- The enterprises should intensify their auto control; an efficient auto control saves money stresses Jorma Hirn.

10 Summer greetings

14 The producers are worried about the locally produced food.
Kirsti Markkanen sells turkey, broiler, and quail and of course pheasant in her shop in the Old Market Hall in Helsinki. She has done that for several decades and the customers have never complained.
- The hygiene has also been in perfect order and I have never got complaints. Our health officer does a good job but the situation is not so good everywhere, mentions Kirsti Markkanen.
There has been a boom to develop new products, but now it seems as if the authorities want to slow down the development.
Seppo Aro and his wife Pirkko have worked with turkeys for 32 years. From the year 2000 the regulations have unnecessarily been sharpened. Paperwork and bookkeeping have developed in such a way that the costs in running the company have risen.
- We have invested more than 700 000 euro in the development of our company and our products but with these new regulation the business is no longer profitable. We are closing down, says Seppo Aro.
Seppo and Pirkko Aro never have had problems with the public health authorities.
- We have no salmonella. Why shall we in Finland pay for shortcomings in other countries, asks Seppo Aro.

17 Pajuniemi concentrates on ecological meat production and on processing.
At Pajuniemi they believe in our domestic ecological meat and processed meat products of top class. The problem is the insufficient supply of raw material. Here the state authority and the producer organization could help. Arto Jokinen gm at Pajuniemi recognizes two different trends in the shopping habits of the consumers. One trend is to buy the cheapest meat products and the other one is to buy products of top quality, preferably at a service counter.
- We want to sell an experience that hits the heart of our consumer’s, defines Arto Jokinen.

20 The meat grinder and the recipe of the month.
Korv-Görans Kebab - Sausage–Görans kebab is specialized in kebab and products of beef of high quality. The turnover is about 3,2 million euro and the production is about 530 000 kg/yearly. 22 persons work in the business. In May the enterprise was allowed the ISO 22000 certificate. Finlands first Honorary Health Officer has been nominated. Heikki Keski-Orvola from Savonlinna was nominated Finlands first Honour Health Officer. He has been working as health officer since the year 1967. The Finnish food is popular due to its safety. 60% of the Finnish consumers are of the opinion that the Finnish food is safer than the imported food. Marjatta Rahkio has been chosen ”A feather in one’s cap distinction 2008”. Rahkio got the distinction due to her promoting work dealing with the safety of poultry meat and hygiene questions. In September there will be a Food Fair in Kauhajoki. 180 producers will take part in the fair that is arranged for 18. time. Protein is satisfying. If your breakfast contains a lot of protein you can eat less at lunch. Aila Rantanen and Tuija Saari have been nominated “Veterinary surgeons of the year 2008”. They were nominated for they work in favor for prevention of cruelty to and the well being of animals.
The evening paper Ilta-Sanomat arranged a test for sausages for grilling. Veljekset Mattilas (The brother Mattilas) Chorizo sausage won the test. It contains 82% meat, the salinity is 1,80 % and the price is about 8,15 euro/kg. The supervision of the ecological production is in order. According to Eviras report of the year 2007 the supervision of our ecological production is good. There occurred no abuse that could have hazarded the credibility of the ecological production and ecological products. Valintatalo strives to be the most non-polluting daily chain in Finland. A new Valintatalo department store has been opened in Hämeenlinna. It has got the Scandinavian distinction – the Swan mark. Four other Valintatalo department stores have already got the Swan mark. The recipe of the month is a “Salad with beef”.

24 Gustaf Salmelin is a meat man and a windsurfer.
Few know that Gustaf Salmelin, today working at the Finnish Meat Import, earlier was a professional windsurfer. His job today is less dangerous but equally exciting.

28 Appointments.
Per 19.5. 2008 Marianne Olli has been appointed Financial Analyst at Atria Oyj and Sari Perttula is by 27.5.2008 appointed Consumer Adviser at the same company. Juha Viita has per 1.5. 2008 been appointed Real Estate Manager at Atria Oy and at Lihakunta Sanna Hartikainen is per 1.6. 2008 appointed financial manager.

29 The meat technologists met in Tallinn.
The society held its yearly meeting and training day in Estonia 22.-24. of May. At the meeting Veijo Sairiala from Veljekset Mattila was chosen new chairman for the society. During the last years no training of meat technologist has taken place and today the meat technologists work hard to restart the discontinued training.

30 We meet in Levi!
This year the Summer Meeting of The Finnish Meat Trade Association is arranged in the beautiful province Levi 15.–17.8. 2008. The program begins on Friday with golf and an exhibition of the art of Reidar Särestöniemi and continues with meetings and seminaries on Saturday 16.8.

32 The Food Industry Fair and the Fair for Local Food in Tampere.
Orat Oy brought to the fair marinades produced by the German entrepreneur RAPS Gmbh that gives poultry and pork a delicious taste. Orat as well as Farmos Oy presented new hygiene solutions and chemicals. Finnvacum had brought to the fair packaging machines. The atmosphere at the fair was slightly subdued because many persons had lately been dismissed from their jobs. However at the same time new companies are founded despite the harsher competition.
At the same time there was a fair for locally produced food. Irma Kärkkäinen was nominated “The best local food act 2008” for her work for the benefit of locally produced food.

36 The Fit for Life Program (KKI in Finnish).
The program that lasts 2005-2009 inspires adults over the age of 40 to include physicals activity in their daily routines. Several local projects (over 700) are organized in cooperation with different organizations, such as municipal sports and health services, workplaces, occupational health care, sport clubs, various associations and public health organizations. The Ministry of Education and Ministry of Social Affairs and Health fund the Fit for Life Program. One of the projects “SuomiMies seikkailee” (The Finnish Male adventures) was a lorry tour project that reached its last destination, one of 18, in May. During this project the health of 7000 men was tested.

48 How are things at Suomen Cobra Systems Oy?
According to md Pekka Mäkelä about 40 meat entrepreneurs use the Alpha Manager program, which is developed by Suomen Cobra Systems. The program was created about 20 years ago and has
all the time been developed according to the consumers wishes. Thanks to the electrical order system the traditional ordering by phone has decreased. Besides the meat branch Alpha Manager suits also the bakery branch.

48 Index of services.

52 My work: Taina Heinonen handles carefully the hygiene systems.
Project Coordinator Tarja Heinonen was able to use her knowledge in a new unique assignment. At the company Biocid Oy that concentrates on hygiene systems for the food industry she is responsible for that the systems are delivered and installed in functioning production lines at the right moment.
– The transports are not problematic but to time the work of over ten subcontractors so that their work does not disturb the work of the producer is really hard, explains Taina Heinonen.

62 Eviras pages
deal this time with the auto control of small entrepreneurs and the HACCP directive. A special directive for small entrepreneurs about auto control and the HACCP directive have been drawn up. You can find it on the address www.ltk.fi/haccp The directives and examples consist of several components, the entrepreneurs can chose the components that suit their enterprise.

64 The columnist Sakari Nupponen,
editor at the evening paper Ilta-Sanomat, writes this time about men who prepare food.
- Help cries the man, in one hand holding a saucepan holder and in the other a grill pincer. Men have lately been criticized because they seldom prepare food. They grill only a couple of times in the summer and then they command their guests to sit down at the table when they turn the beefs. On the other side it its perhaps better that they at least grill a couple of times in the summer than not at all?
Tell the males that it is funnier both grill the meal and enjoy it all together! Keep the grills warm, not hot, concludes Sakari Nupponen.

Translation: Nina Hackman.