Mejeritekniskt Forum

In a completely new position, Matthew Walker takes office on January 1, 2022. His title will be Vice President Marketing / Marketing Director for Arla Sweden.

Last week, Arla’s new five-year strategy was presented – Future26.In addition a completely new role, Vice President Marketing / Marketing Director, is established to ensure that the goals in the strategy are achieved.

Under Marketing Director Matthew Walker, a management team will be responsible for a number of key functions, including:

• Brand responsibility for Arla and the sustainability agenda
• Category responsibility for milk and yoghurt, cheese and butter
• The Barn, Arla’s in-house agency in Sweden
• Digital and media purchases

Matthew Walker har worked years at Arla. 5 years in the UK with leading positions in marketing and then 5 years with global roles in both innovation and the development of the global brand Arla.

– I am very happy to welcome Matt to Sweden and to our management team. Matt has an unusual drive and curiosity. A boldness to be at the forefront no matter what he does, Kai Gyllström, CEO of Arla Sweden says.

– Understanding the consumer and meeting their needs is my focus. Building trust, innovation and delivering on the fantastic brands that Swedes love is my goal, Matthew Walker says.

See the pressrelease HERE

Lillängen’s Farmhouse Dairy was under investigation when infected cheese was sold.

– It is completely established that goat cheese from Lillängen’s farmhouse dairy was the source of listeria, Mats Lindblad, Control Coordinator at the Swedish Food Agency says to the Nya Wermlands TiIdningen (NWT) – according to food-supply.se

The inspection report shows that Lillängen’s Farmhouse Dairy had several deviations and orders for measures. And had repeatedly deficiencies in food hygiene.

During a routine check on 17 September the control among other things noted both dirt, flies, and condensation.

The Swedish Food Agency demanded measures for all the deviations and promised to be back to investigate whether measures had been carried out.

Despite the dairy was under investigation, cheese sold on October 1. caused the death of at least one person, because it – as we know now – was infected with Listeria.

A ban for the dairy to bring its products to market came on 18 October and on 27 October it was decided that all products Lillängen’s Farmhouse Dairy would be recalled due to listeria.

Shortly afterwards Lillängens dairy closed the business.

Read more HERE

In a press release, Arla comments on the Consumer Ombudsman’s decision to bring Arla’s branding: ‘net zero climate footprint’ to court.

In 2019, Arla’s organic products were launched with net zero climate footprint, something that is achieved through climate compensation among other things.

After a complaint to the Swedish Consumer Agency, the clarity of Arla’s communication on the packaging was questioned and referred to as misleading, because Arla did not clearly describe what Net zero climate footprint means. Since Arla has clarified the communication on the packaging and on its website.

After a long process, the Consumer Ombudsman Thursday 11. November announced that he will try the issue of Arla’s use of the statement ”net zero climate footprint” at a trial.

Victoria Olsson, Head of Sustainability at Arla Sweden, comments on the Consumer Ombudsman’s initiative.

– The calculation methods Arla used for climate compensation follow practice and the climate credits are purchased by qualified programs that follow accepted methodologies for calculations and follow-up of climate compensation projects. We can also state that the experts hired by the Swedish Consumer Agency do not question Arla’s calculations of the products’ climate impact. Arla has placed great emphasis on making the information to consumers as clear as possible on packaging and websites, she says and adds:

– Arla welcomes the development of practices for communicating environmental claims. ‘Net zero’ is a term used in climate work by companies, organizations such as the UN and the EU, as well as by countries. Arla’s intention is none other than to comply with the law and current practice, Victoria Olsson, Sustainability Manager at Arla Sweden, concludes.

Read more HERE

‘Julefil’ is a strong Christmas tradition from Swedish dairies. And now the seasonal product from Norrmejerier and Falköping Dairy is ready.

Norrmejerier’s Christmas ‘fil’ (creamy fermented milk) come every year with a temporary taste. This year, the classic taste of ‘pepperkaker’ (Gingerbread), returns – together with a new flavour of Christmas Apple & Cinnamon.

– Last year, Gingerbread returned after a few years of absence, and it was an appreciated comeback. Therefore, we let Gingerbread return again this year, Johannes Eriksson, Product Manager at Norrmejerier says in a press release.

At Falköping Dairy, they stick to the classic gingerbread taste and at their Facebook page, the dairy writes about the gingerbread tradition in Sweden:

‘Gingerbread recipes were found in Swedish cookbooks back in the 18th century. During the 19th century, gingerbread was associated with Christmas. Gingerbread was appreciated in the Nordic countries, not least by royalty. Union King Hans is said to have been prescribed gingerbread for his bad mood by his doctor. According to myth it is said that Gingerbread makes you kind’.

This year’s Milk Day at Alnarp will be held as a hybrid – with the opportunity to participate at ‘Alnarpgården’ or follow the program on zoom.

The headline for the Milk Day 2021 is ‘A future look at milk – trends for hay, technology and housing’.

The reason for the event is the comprehensive research that takes place at Alnarpgården, which is SLU’s campus area in Skåne, where the basic aspects of milk production are in focus – from the cows’ food and behaviour to their milk yield.

The event takes place on the 9^th of November from 10 to 15.

See the program and register HERE

Wednesday 27 October, Livsmedelverket’s inspection found Listeria bacteria during a visit to Lillängen’s farmhouse dairy. The owners have now decided to close down the dairy for good.

On Wednesday, all cheeses from Lillängen’s farmhouse dairy in Sunne were recalled after Livsmedelverket (the National Food Administration) found listeria in samples. At the same time the dairy was banned from producing and selling cheese. Therefore the owners decided to close down the business.

– There is not much to do. We’re not that young either. Sooner or later we would have come to this point, but it was not how we had imagined it to happen, Kajsa Fryklund Andersson who runs Lillängen’s farm dairy with Stig Andersson says to Nya Wermlands Tidningen – according to Food-Supply.se.

During this autumn, two people have died and one has been seriously ill due to listeria in Central Sweden, and the goat cheese from Lillängen’s farmhouse dairy is under suspicious to be the source.

Read more HERE

On Monday 25 October, the King and Queen participated in the awarding of gold medals by the Swedish Farmers’ Association (LRF). The ceremony took place in the Bernadotte Library at the Royal Palace.

LRF Mjölk’s gold medal is Sweden’s highest award for the delivery of milk of the highest quality. To receive the medal, the dairy farmer needs to have delivered quality milk for a total of 23 years.

The ceremony began with the King welcoming everyone and saying in his speech:

– Dear dairy farmers! Developments in agriculture are constantly advancing. A lot has happened just during the time you have been running your business.

– But some things do not change. You are as important to our country as your predecessors were when my grandfather presented the first gold medals 63 years ago.

Last year’s dividend was canceled due to the pandemic. Therefore, it is now the 2020 prize winners who receive their medals from the King.

Read more about LRF’s gold medals HERE

Read the King’s speech HERE

Arla’s Board of Directors appoints Manfred Graff from Germany as Arla’s new vice chairman, succeeding Heléne Gunnarson, who as previously announced has decided to step down from the Board of Directors to prioritise her farm and family.

With the appointment of Manfred Graff as vice chairman and the recent appointment of the new Swedish bord members – Marita Wolf and Gustav Kämpe – the board is now in place in time for the new strategy period to begin. Manfred Graff will commence as vice chairman once the Board of Representatives meeting ends on 27 October. So Arla statets in a press realease.

Manfred Graff is 62 years old and has a conventional farm with 206 cows in Simmerath, West Germany. He has been a member of Arla since 1992 and an elected representative since 1998. He has been a board member as well as chaired the Area Council in Central Europe since 2012. In addition, he has been chairman of the Area Council Chairman Group for the last four years.

It is the first time in the history that a Central European board member is part of the chairman-ship and chairman. And the first time, that neither the chairman nor the vice chairman I Arla has not been Swedish.

Read more HERE

Organic Sweden and the Organic Farmers present Sweden’s first cheese map. The goal is to draw attention to the diversity of organic cheeses found in Sweden.

– You can find lots of imported dessert cheeses in every single store, but it can be difficult to find a Swedish organic cheese – regardless of whether you are looking for alternatives from the big dairies or from smaller local producers. With the new Organic Cheese Map, we want to show the diversity of cheese that our country has to offer, Charlotte Bladh André from Organic Sweden says in a press release referred in ja.se.

The cheese map is part of a campaign that shall inform and guide the consumers to choose organic fruits, vegetables, and dairy products. Behind the campaign is Organic Sweden and Ekologiska Lantbrukarna in collaboration with Föreningen Sörmlandsäpplen.

Read more HERE

A new report shows how Swedish milk and beef production can achieve the climate goals in the Paris Agreement.

The report – ‘Agriculture of the Future: Milk and beef’ – maps the challenges and opportunities for the Swedish food industry in relation to a more sustainable production by 2050.

– Our report describes focus areas and potentials for reducing climate impact and at the same time increasing productivity and benefiting biodiversity. Swedish milk and beef production has an important role to play in a sustainable food system also in the future, says Claes Johansson, head of sustainability at Lantmännen, which is one of the companies behind the report.

It is the compagnies Arla, DeLaval, HKScan, Lantmännen, LRF, Svenskt Kött, Växa and Yara, who together have carried out the extensive project.

Swedish milk and beef production is already today among the most sustainable in the world, but the report shows that there are great opportunities to go even further and achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement.

The focus areas covered in the report are the following: breeding for healthy animals, animal health and lifetime production, roughage production, feed materials, feed strategies on the farm, fossil-free agriculture, manure management and biogas, carbon storage, biodiversity, air and water and new technology. Read more HERE