Finnish meat and food company HKScan has signed an agreement to distribute Apetit’s plant-based value-added products in the Swedish foodservice channel.

HKScan will start distributing Apetit products in the foodservice channel from next February.

Under the agreement with Apetit, HKScan will distribute Apetit brand’s frozen value-added products such as vegetable-based patties and balls.

Primarily targeted at the public sector, Apetit products are said to have been pre-tested with end customers in Sweden.

HKScan CEO Tero Hemmilä said: “It is great to get to work together with Apetit in Sweden. Apetit products will strengthen our sales portfolio in Sweden and increase our role in the plant-based product market in the foodservice channel.

“The commercial cooperation with Apetit in Sweden supports HKScan’s strategic target to grow into a versatile food company.”

With a solid presence in the Swedish foodservice channel, HKScan said that the demand for plant-based products is increasing in the sector.

Apetit CEO Esa Mäki said: “One of Apetit’s strategic priorities is to strengthen the Swedish market in food exports. So far, we have made systematic progress in retail, and this approach, in turn, supports our goals in the foodservice channel. All in all, this is a great opportunity for us.

“Plant-based value-added products are a growing market in this target group. We have pre-tested our products in Swedish school meals and they have been very well received.

“The frozen food market in Sweden is considerably larger than in Finland, so we see a clear and important potential for us.”