The latest news, trends, analysis, interviews and podcasts from the global food and beverage industry

Valio has invested over €10 million in a new pre-processing facility at the its production plant in Suonenjoki, Finland. Construction at the plant began this month, with the upgrade adding several hundred square metres to the pre-processing area, and a new melting system to improve and facilitate the handling of frozen raw materials at the beginning of production. The robotics technology to be built in the new pre-treatment facility will help reduce physically taxing work, which the company says will positively impact the wellbeing of Valio employees. Markku Ihasalo, Suonenjoki plant manager, said: “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." Ihasalo continued: “The growing pre-treatment 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." Valio’s Suonenjoki plant processes around 500 different raw materials, from exotic fruits to Finnish berries. The new facility is expected to begin operations in 2025.