Valio has introduced a new range of plant-based products: the spoonable Valio Oddlygood gurts and the Valio Oddlygood oat drink – both made from Finnish oats at Valio’s Riihimäki and Turenki plants, in Finland. The new gurts and the oat drink will be available in stores in Finland in February 2018 and in Sweden in spring 2018.

Milk will continue to be the focus of Valio’s operations also in the future, and the new product innovations complement our offering.

Valio’s new plant-based products complement Valio’s milk-, fruit- and berry-based product offering. Valio Oddlygood gurts are a spoonable, yogurt-style snack made from Finnish oats. The Valio Oddlygood oat drink is also made from Finnish oats and can be enjoyed on its own or used in smoothies or for baking or cooking.

“We wanted to complement our plant-based product range with a new product family that is both amazingly flavourful and extremely filling. Studies show that consumers want a wider range of good-tasting and local product options in the selecion of plant-based products. Consumers enjoy experimenting with plant-based products. The products are non-dairy, so they also make a good option for vegans and milk allergic persons,” says Valio’s Business Manager Anne Arponen.

Spoonable Valio O ddlygood gurts will be available in a wide range of popular flavors and different sizes of packaging. The Valio Oddlygood flavors include mango, raspberry, strawberry, blueberry, and vanilla. In addition to the unflavored oat drink, a dark cocoa option also will be offered.

Speaking to FoodIngredientsFirst, Niko Vuorenmaa, Senior Vice President, Snacks & New Categories said: “Oat dairy will likely be a driver behind many innovations of the future. Our world class R&D is working hard to bring new innovative products for consumers. And of course milk will continue to be a source for many innovations, too.”
 
“We have good and long relationships with many oat producers, whom we are working closely with to fulfill the raw material demand,” he adds.

“We listen to consumers carefully, and we continuously pursue new and interesting product innovations. Our product development expertise is world-class: we use our more than 100 years of innovation and technology knowledge to offer high-quality products from various ingredients in addition to our main raw material milk. For example, we have been making juices and berry soups for decades. Now consumers will be able to enjoy these great flavors again but in a new product category,” notes Valio’s CEO Annikka Hurme.

“Valio is a dairy cooperative owned by Finnish dairy farmers, so milk will continue to be the focus of our operations also in the future. We believe in the success of high-quality, good-tasting milk products, and the new product innovations complement our offering. Valio and our farmers succeed when we listen to consumers and offer a variety of options for various situations,” concludes Valio’s Chairman of Board Vesa Kaunisto.