Food company Valio is currently underway with the construction of a new pre-processing facility at the former freezer storage of the Suonenjoki production plant. This substantial investment, surpassing €10 million, is geared towards enhancing the pre-processing of frozen berries, fruits, vegetables, and herbs within the plant. The objective is to elevate predictability in production and improve raw materials management. Anticipated to be operational in 2025, the new automated preprocessing facility is poised to significantly augment Valio’s production capabilities.
Construction of the new preprocessing facility at Valio’s Suonenjoki plant began in December 2023. The upgrade will expand the preprocessing area by several hundred square meters, and a new melting system for frozen products will be introduced to improve and facilitate the handling of frozen raw materials at the start of production. Importantly, the construction work will not impact the plant’s operations.
“The investment will also bring new technology to the plant, enabling it to raise the temperature of frozen raw materials from the -20°C during transport and storage to the product processing temperature of -2°C in a matter of a few minutes. Additionally, new automation will facilitate the handling of heavy, frozen raw materials. This will significantly increase the efficiency and speed of the plant’s production and bring flexibility to the manufacturing of products,” noted Suonenjoki Plant Manager Markku Ihasalo.
The robotics technology slated for integration into the new pretreatment facility is anticipated to bring about a notable reduction in physically strenuous tasks. Such advancements are expected to positively influence the well-being and work resilience of Valio employees.
Markku Ihasalo continues, “The growing pretreatment and production area and the upgraded process technology will allow us to develop and expand our plant’s operations. This is an important investment in the future of the Suonenjoki plant and also a vote of confidence in our work.”
The Suonenjoki plant of Valio stands as the largest jam facility in Finland, producing an extensive array of jams, marmalades, cream fillings, purees, and flavoured oils. Its production caters to both Valio’s own product line and supplies other food companies, including bakeries. The plant is involved in processing approximately 500 different raw materials, ranging from exotic fruits to Finnish berries.
The berries delivered to the Suonenjoki plant arrive frozen, and the fruit is typically prechopped or subjected to other forms of preprocessing. Once the raw materials are thawed after being melted, they undergo further preprocessing, such as pureeing, sieving, or chopping. Depending on the specific product, additional elements like flavorings or gelling agents may be introduced to the berry and fruit raw materials.
“For example, we make vanilla creams for bakeries, Valio AURA cheese filling for ready-made meatballs and butterscotch filling for doughnuts. We also make the berry, fruit, vegetable and herb preparations used to flavour all Valio’s yoghurts, fresh cheeses and quarks,” notes Markku Ihasalo.
The Suonenjoki plant has a workforce of approximately 100 individuals involved in various aspects, including product production processes, raw materials receiving and handling, and product development. The plant’s product development division introduces dozens of new and seasonal products annually, and custom development work is undertaken for bakeries and other clients. About 85% of the plant’s production is dedicated to Valio’s yoghurts, flavoured quarks, and other snacks. The majority of these products are distributed to Valio’s facilities in Riihimäki, Oulu, and Seinäjoki, while purees are supplied to Valio’s Pitäjänmäki juice plant. The remaining output is sold to food industry companies in Finland and overseas through Valio’s B2B and Food Service sales channels.