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, the company said, and the new product innovations complement its offering.

Valio’s new plant-based products are said to 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,” said Valio’s Business Manager Anne Arponen.

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

“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 flavours again but in a new product category,” said 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,” said Valio’s Chairman of the Board Vesa Kaunisto.