Mejeritekniskt Forum

Social media and parents have the biggest impact on teens’ eating habits while experts and dietary recommendations have the least impact. This is especially true for the Swedish teens, shows a Nordic study conducted by Arla.

A survey among 1,500 teenagers in Sweden, Denmark and Finland shows that three out of four teenagers do not consider the recommendations from food authorities to be important or useful. The survey was conducted by Ipsos on behalf of Arla last summer.

When the teens were asked, who has the biggest influence on their eating habits and desire to change them, the social media and parents was their first answers, while doctors, official dietary advice and nutritionists end up at the bottom of the list.

– Although the experts seem to have a low impact, it may well be that they have an indirect influence via the parents. But the fact, that social media is on the top on the list is hardly surprising. Many of the biggest Swedish ’influencers’ talk about food and often cook on their channels, and this affects, what the teenagers eat. That is why the ’influencers’ have a great responsibility, Elin Boll, nutrition specialist at Arla Sweden, says.

The study also shows that Swedish teenagers’ knowledge of what their national dietary recommendation are significantly lower than among teens in the neighbouring countries. Only 45 percent of the Swedish teenagers have a clear picture of the advice from the food authorities. Neither are the Swedish teenagers as interested in information about healthy food compared to the Finns and Danes. Only 9 percent of the Swedes searched for information to eat healthy. In Denmark the corresponding figure is 25 percent and in Finland 38 percent. When teens seek guidance on eating healthier, the most used channels are online recipes and social media.

– All of us who work in the food industry have a responsibility to inspire a healthy and sustainable diet based on scientific facts. But we also need to meet the target audience where they are and on their terms. There is a lot of knowledge, but it must be conveyed correctly, Elin Boll, says.

Read more HERE

A large majority of Arla’s elected representatives have decided that all elections in Arla’s democratic systems will not be held for another year.

A Swedish proposal to postpone all election actions by one year due to the corona situation, was adopted by 162 of 187 Arla-Representatives. The vote took place at an extraordinary, online meeting of the Board of Representatives.

The argument in the proposal – which was drafted by 38 Swedish members of the Board of Representatives – was that it is crucial for the democracy to be able to meet ”properly” and not ”only online”, when elections are to be held for Arla’s district council, national councils, board and ultimately board.

– It will be difficult to conduct the elections when we cannot meet physically, said Mats Larsson, milk producer and chairman of the district council in Region Väst. He is one of the 38 Swedish representatives, that had requested the extraordinary meeting.

The proposal required an absolute majority, or 75 percent support, as this was a deviation from the articles of association. According to the rules there must be two years between the election documents.

Read more HERE

This week, changes in the management have been announced in both Norrmejerier and Arla.

After almost six years as CEO, Anders Fredriksson leaves Norrmejerier and becomes President and CEO at Löfbergs. The recruitment of a new CEO starts immediately, Norrmejerier informs in a press release.

Ulla Bergström, Norrmejerier’s chairman regrets his departure, but sums up the years, where Fredriksson has been in charge:

– During this period, we have set a new strategy to meet the consumers of the future, invested in both our fresh products and cheese production, developed our cheese business both in volume and value and right now we are starting up the production of grilled cheese. This creates conditions for increased efficiency and a good balance in the dairy, which is very important for the dairy farmers in Norrland, she says. Read more HERE

The top of Arla Sweden also sees changes, since Lisa Ehde will be the new head of Member & Agri Commercial (MAC). This means that she also takes a place in the Swedish management team.

At the same time, Peter Kofoed, Head of Member Relations, is leaving Arla to be Head of LRF Milk.

Lisa Ehde also has a past as a leading figure at the Swedish Farmers’ Association, LRF.

The municipalities, Karlskoga and Degerfors, have stopped serving milk in their high schools (gymnasieskolorna red.) as a part of their environmental efforts.

– We will try a concept for a sustainable meal, based on our environmental thinking. We do this e.g., by removing the milk as a drink for the meal in high school, Maria Sjödahl Nilsson, operations manager for diet in Karlskoga and Desgerfors, says P4 Örebro.

The municipalities choose to keep the milk in primary school.

– The milk fits quite well in primary school. It is in fact only the recommendation for small children to drink milk, she says.

While Maria Sjödahl Nilsson denies that the economy plays a role in relation to dropping the milk, Martin Hårsmar (M), who is chairman of the public health committee in Karlskoga, says to Jordbruksaktuelt.se that saving considerations lies behind the decision.

Jordbruksaktuelt has also talked to a local milk producer, Thomas Danielsson, who is LRF’s sustainability ambassador in Örebro County. He criticizes that the municipality uses climate arguments:

– It is sad that the municipality excludes a food that is produced within the municipality. From a climate point of view, there are other foods you could consider making the meal more sustainable – e.g., imported foods, he says.

Read more HERE

Mejeritekniskt Forum wishes our members and readers a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Our news service will be back in the new year with the first Notisnytt January 12.

Arla has been fined by the Swedish competition authorities for more than DKK 1 million SEK. Arla considers the fine to be unfair, as the company has notified the case on its own and thus used the rules of safe-conduct.

Arla has, according to the Swedish Competition Authority, exchanged prices with a competing company in connection with a municipal tender for the supply of dairy products. This happened four years ago and has now resulted in a fine.

From Arla’s point of view the story is not as simple. In a press release the company explains:

’When Arla 2018 discovered that an error had been committed by an individual employee in a price negotiation, Arla contacted the Swedish Competition Authority in accordance with the rules for the so-called remission-program. The error did not result in any financial gain for Arla and the intention of the remission program is that companies that discover and report these errors to the Swedish Competition Authority should not be fined.

Arla was transparent and submitted documents to the Swedish Competition Authority, which is now used against Arla. Arla opposes the Swedish Competition Authority and considers, that it is against the intention with the remission process. The Swedish Competition Authority’s actions may also abstain other companies from being as transparent as Arla’.

Read Arla’s argumentation HERE

Read the press release from the Swedish Competition Authority HERE

Aftonbladet and Viafree’s program 200 seconds today have a report from Skånemejerier. Filmed with a hidden camera the media reveals that the dairy is planing mold from its cheeses, before repackaging. Skånemejerier responds promptly with a press release.

In the press release Skånemejerier states:

”Due to today’s report in Aftonbladet, we want to answer the questions about Skånemejerier’s, ICA’s and Lidl’s household cheese, which is produced at our facility in Kristianstad. We want to emphasize that our production processes are based on the National Food Administration’s regulations, and that you as a consumer can feel safe with our products. The pictures in the report show pallets of household cheese with large amounts of mold. This is cheese that is to be discarded, but in the report, it appears as being subject to repackaging. This is not true. It is important to emphasize that with large amounts of mold, the cheese is discarded.”

In the press release Sånemejerier also explains, that in rare cases there may be mold on their household cheese that is noticed in the quality control. ”Most of this cheese is discarded, but some have been repackaged after removing small dots of surface mold”. Read the whole explanation HERE

Danone wants to increase the production of plant-based products in Sweden. Therefore, the global company now invest in its current factory in Lunnarp — also to make the production more sustainable.

– We are very pleased that we get more capacity at Danone’s factory in Skåne. Sustainability is a central focus area for Danone and the plant aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2025. The investment allows us to invest even more, and I look forward seeing the results of our investments where we combine sustainability, and local product innovation with Danone’s global expertise, John Sjöblom, CEO of Danone in the Nordics says according to ood-supply.se.

Österlenmejeriet is Danone’s factory based in Lunnarp, outside Tomelilla in Skåne. Here they also produce the brand ProViva, a popular probiotic fruit drink, which Danone bought from Skånemejerier in 2010.

The expansion of the factory is expected to be finished in May 2021, and Danone’s goal is that the facility will become a hub for plant-based products in Sweden. Read more HERE

DeLaval is investing in the future of dairy farming by developing its own high-tech farm, Hamra Farm with a new state-of-the-art barn, including new milking robots and increased focus on animal welfare.

-The new barns are built with animal welfare as the top priority. The new modern technology will not only increase efficiency but ensure the best possible care for our animals, Joakim Rosengren, DeLaval President & CEO, says.

Hamra Farm is a commercially driven farm located near the DeLaval headquarters, south of Stockholm in Sweden. In addition, Hamra Farm is a showcase farm for customers and other key people in the dairy value chain, with about 3,000 visitors every year.

The plan is to almost double the number of milking cows, from 260 to 550. The farm will utilise some of today’s most innovative milking solutions, including four milking robots ─ DeLaval VMS™ V300. The development plan also includes modernised barns for calves and heifers and updated visitor areas, all located in the existing farm area. It is expected to be ready in 2022.

Read more HERE

40 percent of Swedish teenagers say they are on special diets. The corresponding numbers in Denmark are 23 percent and 30 percent in Finland.

A new Nordic study conducted by Ipsos on behalf of Arla, shows that Scandinavian teenagers – and especially the Swedes – challenge ordinary food habits and choose special diets instead. For example, eating vegetarian, vegan or gluten- and lactose-free food.

It is especially the girls who are on special diets. In Sweden 46 percent of the girls in the study say they follow a certain diet. But even though many teenagers state that they eat a special diet, they do not always live up to it. For example, one-third of those who described themselves as vegetarians also said they had eaten chicken last week. This leads to the conclusion, that the diet in many cases is a choice of lifestyle rather than strict guidelines for what to eat.

Elin Boll, Ph.D. and nutritionist at Arla Sweden, says that many of the Swedish teenagers are influenced by their parents who also choose new food habits, but many teenagers also get their inspiration through friends and influencers.

– Many young people seek information about diet and health, which is positive as long as the information channels are correct. If you exclude parts of the diet, you must be careful, that you are not going to lack certain nutrients, Elin Boll says.

The survey took place in July / July 2020. 1500 teenagers, representatively selected in Sweden, Denmark and Finland, participated in the online survey. Read more HERE