2020

Within ten years, Sweden could increase food production by several tens of per cent, create 19,000 new jobs across the country, and strengthen food security, climate action and biodiversity, according … Läs mer

Falköpings Mejeri launched a consumer-packaged Swedish milk powder in February – a product aimed both at ordinary households and at the growing interest in food preparedness. The launch comes amid a broader discussion about food security. “Milk powder is a fantastic product that we talk far too little about,” Arla Sweden CEO Cecilia Kocken wrote recently on LinkedIn, highlighting its importance for both exports and emergency supplies. Milk powder is easy to store and transport and can help secure demand for the milk supplied by farmers, she noted in connection with a visit by the Director General of the Swedish Food Agency to Arla’s milk powder facility in Vimmerby. Milk powder is increasingly highlighted as an important staple in emergency stockpiles. In the Swedish preparedness brochure “If Crisis or War Comes,” the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) recommends milk powder because it is nutritious, provides energy and can be stored at room temperature for long periods. The new pack from Falköpings Mejeri makes it easier for consumers to stock up on milk powder for emergency preparedness. It contains 480 grams of powder, equivalent to about five litres of milk. It can be used for drinking, cooking and baking, and is made from Swedish milk and labelled Från Sverige. The dairy has long produced milk powder for export in large industrial formats but is now making the product available to the retail market. Since 2024, the three dairies Skånemejerier, Gäsene and Falköpings have been building a new milk powder facility with an investment of about SEK 300 million. The plant is expected to be completed in 2027 and will increase production significantly, to around 20 million kilos per year from the current 5 million. The joint investment is partly driven by declining consumption of drinking milk in Sweden, while global demand for dairy products – including milk powder – continues to grow. A larger production capacity could also strengthen Sweden’s national food preparedness.

For decades, milk with an unexpected blueberry-like off-flavour has puzzled both dairies and farmers in Sweden. Now a research project at Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) has identified the explanation behind the phenomenon. The project, which ran from 2019 to 2024 and was partly funded by Kampradstiftelsen, investigated the cause of the flavour deviation in collaboration with dairies, the advisory organisation Växa Sverige and farmers across Sweden. The unusual taste has often been described as blueberry-like and has in some cases led dairies to reject milk deliveries from individual farms. “A small flavour deviation could spoil large volumes of milk at dairies. Many investigations had previously been carried out, but no one had been able to explain the cause. That was the reason we decided to tackle the issue,” says Mårten Hetta, researcher at SLU, in a press release. The breakthrough came when researchers stopped focusing solely on a “blueberry flavour”. In international literature the problem was instead described as “fruity”, which provided new clues. Experiments with both feed and milk quickly revealed a pattern: when cows had consumed feed with a high sugar content, the taste of the milk could change. The explanation lies in a chemical process. High sugar concentrations in feed can be converted into ethanol. When ethanol reacts with butyric acid in the milk, esters are formed – including ethyl butanoate – which produce a fruity aroma. Humans can detect this compound even at extremely low concentrations. The researchers also found that the high sugar levels in feed often occur when crops are harvested very early in the spring, when their nutritional value is also at its peak. According to the study, the problem affects only a small number of farms each year. According to the researchers, the issue can often be resolved by replacing the silage responsible for the flavour deviation. The use of additives that inhibit yeast growth in feed may also allow farmers to continue harvesting early without causing flavour problems. The research team will now investigate why not all cows in a herd are affected, even when they have eaten the same feed.

Skånemejerier is strengthening its position in the fruit drinks market after completing the acquisition of the ProViva brand, including the Skåne-based production facility Österlenmejeriet. In November, Lactalis — the French … Läs mer

The oat drink company Oatly has announced a multi-year investment in its production facility in Landskrona, Sweden, to meet accelerating global demand for its plant-based drinks. Operating since 2006, the … Läs mer

“How does the Government intend to safeguard the infrastructure that ensures milk can be collected, processed and delivered to people in peacetime, in crisis and, ultimately, in war?” That is … Läs mer

A new dairy in Götene will anchor Arla’s drive to expand Swedish cheese production, underlining the strength of the country’s milk sector, with farmers ready to meet growing demand. Arla … Läs mer

Skånemejerier has joined an industry-wide collaboration committed to reducing sugar in flavoured milk products. To strengthen efforts to promote healthier eating habits, Skånemejerier, together with the industry organisation Livsmedelsföretagen, Arla, … Läs mer

On 18 February, Arla reported record results for 2025, achieving its highest milk intake, earnings and revenue to date. In Sweden, revenue rose by 16.2 per cent, although the year … Läs mer

“We know that achieving our first full year of profitability is a milestone, not our destination,” said CEO Jean-Christophe Flatin as Oatly presented its annual results. The Swedish oat drink … Läs mer