Mejeritekniskt Forum

The shop and start-up company ‘Gårdshem’ in Umeå has developed an online cheese tasting event, that has increased the interest in local food. The owners have now received the Grand Tourism Award in Västerbotten 2020.

The company Gårdshem started by two young entrepreneurs Stefan Olsson and Christian Sjöland two years ago. And in March 2019 they opened a shop in Umeå. The shop sells locally produced products from farms, dairies, breweries and other food craftsmen in Västerbotten.

– Our concept is based on 100 percent local food and beverage, one of the owners Christian Sjöland states to Landlantbruk.se.

He also tells, that Gårdshem arrange cheese tasting— with only Norrland’s cheeses, but when corona struck, no one signed up to the events in the shop. Instead the two entrepreneurs – with inspiration from digital beer tasting – launched online cheese tasting.

The event got a lot of attention, which led to new customers.

Gårdshem has now received the Grand Tourism Award in Västerbotten 2020. Region Västerbotten writes in the justification that, ’when the pandemic put an end to Gårdshem’s usual food events and the number of customers dwindled, the company developed new concepts. They launched the world’s first online cheese tasting event, which since has been developed. The company also offered home delivery of groceries to customers, who could not visit the shop’.

Read more HERE

According to the newspaper ATL, a recent survey among Arla-member shows that every seventh farmer is considering quitting milk production.

The survey, conducted by Arla, also reveals, that six out of ten dairy farmers feel insecure due to the risk of activists – and that, every fourth child in families with milk production has felt exposed due to the parent’s occupation.

Patrik Hansson, CEO of Arla Sweden says, that the result testifies an uncertain situation in Sweden. He calls it catastrophic that so many (14 pct.) are thinking of quitting. His concern applies especially to the future milk production.

– How do you get someone to invest in milk production under these circumstances, he asks and add:

– We have to take these problems seriously. They affect our food supply in Sweden, which makes it even more important.

2.300 Arla-members were asked to participate in the survey, only 400 responded.

Read the article at ATL HERE (only for subscribers).

Skånemejerier has joined a new partnership with Skåne City Mission. This includes annual financial support, food donations and joint activities to contribute to the mission’s activities.

‘Skåne Stadsmission’ is an organization that supports people living in acute homelessness, poverty and mental illness. One of the activities is Café David, where visitors can have breakfast and subsidized lunch, receive counselling, clean clothes and the opportunity to meet a nurse, a doctor and a dentist. For a few years now, Skånemejerier has donated surplus products, about six tonnes of food a year. But now the dairy also will contribute with an annual financial support.

– We have our roots and our heart in Skåne, and we want to offer our support so that all people I Skåne can feel good. Skåne City Mission does a fantastic job. We are proud to be able to participate and contribute with both nutritious foods, and now also financially, Jeanette Flodqvist, Skånemejerier’s sustainability manager, says. Read more about the partnership HERE

A new Sifo survey that Norrmejerier has commissioned show that 90 percent of the Swedes find it important that municipalities choose locally. For example, when they buy food for schools and nursing homes.

– The climate crisis and the Corona pandemic have made it clear that Sweden needs to increase its self-sufficiency in food. And the survey proves that the Swedes demand local produced food in public companies and institutions, Anna-Karin Karlsson, sustainability director at Norrmejerier says.

The result is in line with Norrmejerier’s vision of doing well for the local area as expressed in the slogan: ’Gör gott för Norrland’.

– Every year, municipalities trades services and goods for more than SEK 300 billion. By choosing locally produced, the public sector can make a major contribution to Swedish food production, Anna-Karin Karlsson says.

Read more about the survey HERE

’Klöver® mjölkdryck’ is a new milk drink, based on filtered milk, which is left over from the production of lactose-free products. By using this residual product Arla can reduce food waste and produce a milk drink to a lower price.

Reducing food waste is a priority issue for Arla. Through this new innovation, we take advantage of the filtered milk (also called milk retentate), from the production of lactose-free products. So Arla Sweden states in a press release.

Klöver® milk drink is a completely new innovation in the milk category. Compared to Arla’s regular milk, it contains a little less fat and protein but just as much calcium. The new product has a slightly longer shelf life, which reduces food waste even for the consumer.

This new Swedish milk drink has the same good taste as regular fresh milk and fits just as well in pancakes as it works as a nutritious beverage, Konrad von Otter, category manager for milk at Arla Sweden, says.

Read more HERE

The supply of oat drinks in Sweden has exploded and the sale have increased by 72 percent to SEK 594 million since 2018.

Today, there are over 70 different types of oat drink in the Swedish shops. In 2018 the number was 45. The demand for oat drink continues to increase and new players are entering the marked. An example is Valio, that launched its oat milk a year ago and now is the best-selling novelty in the segment. That is the message in a press release from Valio.

– After 25 years on the market, oat drink is no longer a trend. Instead, it is now a basic product in the Swedish beverage culture. It is consumed all over the country, but it has had the greatest impact in the Stockholm area and in Skåne, food historian Richard Tellström says. The press release contains new statistics from Nielsen on which parts of Sweden, where the population drink the most and the least oat milk. Read more HERE

– We do not agree on what should be included in the purchase, Erik Bratthall, Arla’s press service, says to Aftonbladet.

The story about the dairy in Boxholm has been long and full of conflicts since Arla decided to move the cheese production to Östersund and close the dairy I Boxholm.

And the conflicts seem to continue. Among other things the actual conflict are two silos, which the municipality believes are included in the purchase, but Arla denies this.

The new quarrels also awakened the local support group ’Boxholmsostens Vänner’ to battle. E.g. the group is planning a new protest march.

– We will never give up, spokesman Morgan Sehlstedt says and adds, that the goal still is a small local production of cheese.

Read more about the background and the recent development in Aftonbladet HERE

30th of September World School Milk Day was celebrated for the 21st time worldwide. But in Sweden pupils have been served milk for almost 75 years.

World School Milk Day is initiated by the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) to draw attention to the health benefits of school milk programmes. It its celebrated every year on the last Wednesday in September. The end of the month was chosen since it is a school day in most countries.

In Sweden, milk has been a natural part of the schooldays since 1946, but that’s not the case in all countries. School milk can be vital in countries where there is a shortage of food — and also for Swedish children, milk is an important source of nutrition as it contains 18 of the 22 nutrients, we need every day.

– Active children and young people need a lot of nutrition and energy. Milk is nutrient-dense. It contains a lot of nutrients in relation to the amount of food intake and also in relation to the amount of climate emissions. It’s smart food, Caroline Starck, communications manager at Arla, says.

According to a report from the International Dairy Federation (IDF )about 160 million children in the world receive milk at school. Read more HERE

A new research project from Lund University and Tetra Pak has revealed, that the worldwide demand for dairy alternatives could increase by 25% up to 65% in 2030.

The dairy industry across the World is set to undergo a major transformation by 2030 as dairy alternative products are forecasted to become mainstream in many markets, reducing the consumption of milk derived from cows.

The recent study, Global trends affecting dairy strategies, follows an 18-month research project by Lund University School of Economics and Management (LUSEM) supported by Tetra Pak, to examine a shifting dairy landscape and forecast what the dairy industry will look like in 2030.

– The global dairy industry is at the very heart of the global food transformation, and the contours of this transition are already starting to take shape, says Dr. Christian Koch of Lund University School of Economics and Management in the article in foodbusinessafrica.com.

Analysing six key global markets, including the UK, US, China, India, Nigeria and Brazil, the study outlines four scenarios i.e. ‘Green Dairy’, ‘New Fusion’, ‘Brave New Food’ and ‘Dairy Evolution’ Each scenario demonstrates the varying interplay of socioeconomic forces and technological transformation, and with very different outcomes. Read more HERE

Kärno is a new cheese variety, made on buttermilk – and brine, left over from the production of fermented gherkins.

The new cheese is a result of a collaboration between the compagnies Kinda Gurka and Löt Gårdsmejeri – both in Östergötland. But it is also the successful result of a pilot project completed by the two compagnies, Alfred Nobel Science Park and Vreta Kluster as an example on so called:  ’Svinnovation’. The method is to value waste in food production and match food companies to create new products. In this case waste, brine, from the fermentation of gherkins was matched with residues from the dairy, buttermilk.

At this moment the chefs behind restaurant Paul Taylor Lanthandeln in Stockholm buy the entire production of the new cheese.

Kärno has its own Facebook site HERE, where you can read more and see a film about the project.