Meat-free innovation: Valio to showcase on-trend concepts and ingredients at SIAL

10 Oct 2018 --- Finnish-based dairy company, Valio, is set to unveil their latest food innovations and tailor-made ingredients solutions – including Valio MiFU, a new, milk-based alternative to meat – at SIAL Paris, later this month. Valio is addressing key upcoming food trends and creates solutions that manufacturers globally can adapt to local market needs. Valio’s products and food ingredients satisfy the demand for high quality, high protein and lactose-free dairy.

Timo Pajari, Senior Vice President for Food Solution Sales at Valio, says: “With consumer demand for natural products that promote health and wellness, Valio responds with innovations made of pure Finnish, high-quality milk. Valio is a team of passionate food experts who constantly strive to push forward and create the most pioneering dairy products and solutions that help people eat better and, in turn, feel better.”

“Valio products address the latest health trends based on our in-depth market analysis and consumer insights. We also set high standards for our corporate social responsibility requirements and are proud to have been voted the most sustainable company in Finland five years in a row.”

Speaking to FoodIngredientFirst, Pajari says: “Valio is constantly focusing on understanding and anticipating consumer trends. Valio MiFU is a great example of how milk can be turned into many forms and uses. MiFU is a meat-free, milk-based protein source to be used in every-day cooking. It provides great texture and mouthfeel. Valio also launched in February 2018 completely plant-based Oddlygood product family.”

“Eating more plant-based food is good for our health and the planet. We believe that high-quality milk products will also be needed in the future, as most people use plant and milk-based products side by side. We see customer needs more fragmented and vegan diet is one of those gaining popularity,” he explains. 

“We continue to develop our MiFU products with new tastes to reach new customers and bring new plant-based Oddlygood consumer products to them,” Pajari notes. 

Health and wellness is a trend with a lot of opportunities, according to Pajari. “Consumers want to take care of their well-being, ensure protein intake and reduce the sugar and salt. Food origin and purity is also essential and industrial actors must provide full traceability and transparency of their sourcing and raw material origin. Our industrial customers are looking naturally for solutions which support the trends but also more tailor-made products that enable them to reach different customer segments. One example is Valio’s EILA zero lactose milk powders, which enable our industrial customers to attract new customers.”

Valio has a long tradition of being innovative, which help in keeping up with new trends. Milk is an excellent raw material for its taste and composition, says Pajari. “Milk protein is superb for the nutritional value compared to any other protein and contains all the nine amino acid’s necessary for human body. Together with our new plant-based and meat-free solutions, we have many touch-points with existing trends discussed earlier.”

“We continue to listen to our customers. We believe in the continuous rise of indulgence, convenience and personification. There will be an even wider range of products with high-quality special nutrition: sports, senior, weight management, maternity. The number of easy-to-prepare and on-the-go products has not reached its limits yet,” he explains. 

At SIAL, Valio’s experienced and knowledgeable staff will be on hand to share consumer insights that explain how buyers can capitalize on the food trends that are reshaping the food business.

“We invite customers to visit us in SIAL and taste our Nordic menu performed by our top chef’s, which will include three different products from Valio; MiFU meet-free strips, Oddlygood oat-based yogurt alternatives and EILA zero-lactose butter,” Pajari adds. 

Valio MiFU is made of the rich, high-quality protein naturally occurring in milk, the highest nutritional quality of all natural protein sources, with calcium, vitamin B12 and zinc.

Pajari adds: “We identified a gap in the market for real food products that vegetarians and flexitarians could enjoy as alternatives to meat. We are proud to have pioneered Valio MiFU, a wholesome product that is rich in protein and supports people aiming to reduce their meat intake.”

Valio provides expert tailor-made solutions to clients based on their needs, advised by an in-depth understanding of consumer insights and knowledge on the latest food trends, to provide the most advanced products on the market. 

The company claims to have invented lactose-free dairy over 20 years ago to offer great tasting, pure dairy to those with trouble digesting milk products.

By Elizabeth Green