Hämeenlinnan Osuusmeijeri co-operative dairy uses detergents with the Nordic Swan Ecolabel
Kiilto is the only company in Finland selling Nordic Swan Ecolabel products for the food industry. Hämeenlinnan Osuusmeijeri has good user experience with CIP detergents, and the products also fit excellently with the company’s values.
Hämeenlinnan Osuusmeijeri co-operative dairy processes as much as one hundred million litres of milk per year. The 108 dairy farms that are part of the co-operative have a total of around 5,600 cows. In addition, the dairy also purchases unprocessed milk from other holdings in the Arla Finland cooperation group. Hämeenlinnan Osuusmeijeri’s dairy products–milk, buttermilk and cream–are sold throughout Finland.According to Anne Isokangas, who is head of quality, environmental and product development at Hämeenlinnan Osuusmeijeri, there are many phases in the production of each product, such as light milk.
- “In the separation phase, the milk and cream are separated. In the standardisation phase, cream is added to the milk to bring the fat concentration to exactly 1.5%. Vitamin D may also be added to the product. In the homogenisation phase, the milk fat particles are broken down so that they are evenly distributed throughout the milk. In the pasteurisation phase, the milk is heat treated to make it safer for consumption and extend its shelf life”.
The dairy production equipment is carefully washed every day so as not to leave any trace of the previous production batches.
- “Washing is extremely important. This is easy to appreciate when one thinks about how quickly a splash of milk sours on the kitchen table, for example”, Isokangas says.
Efficient, safe and environmentally friendly
Hämeenlinnan Osuusmeijeri began its partnership with Kiilto in February 2019.
Kiilto supplies several detergents for cleaning the dairy production line, including the Nordic Swan Ecolabel CIP alkaline detergent F 47 Tarmo and the acidic detergent F 60 Ciro, as well as F 24 Fabox for washing transportation containers.
Kiilto is the only company in Finland selling Nordic Swan Ecolabel products for the food industry.
- “Nordic Swan Ecolabel products are efficient, safe and well suited to their intended use. A big plus is that the products are sustainable choices from the point of view of the environment as well”, Isokangas says.
- “Currently, half of the detergents we use carry the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. Tarmo is the detergent we use the most”.
As Kiilto business development manager Arton Ibrahimi notes, demanding requirements must be met to receive the Nordic Swan Ecolabel.
- “Products that are granted the certification have undergone rigorous tests to determine such factors as their efficiency, ecotoxicity, bioaccumulation and degradability. Attention is paid to the whole life cycle of the detergents”, Ibrahimi says.
- “Kiilto wants to help its customers achieve their environmental goals by offering green solutions”.
Genuine eco-friendliness
The Nordic Swan Ecolabel is a good match with Hämeenlinnan Osuusmeijeri’s values.
- “We have introduced the ISO 14001 certified environmental programme. We are constantly looking for ways to operate more environmentally. For instance, we have stepped up heat recovery and waste sorting. Nordic Swan-labelled products are one example of our environmentally conscious approach”, Isokangas says.
Environmentally friendly thinking is becoming increasingly important throughout the food sector.
- “The use of Swan-labelled products also informs our own customers, such as Arla and purchasing centres, that we are taking concrete action for the good of the environment”, Isokangas adds.
The same message is of course also intended for end users of the dairy products.
- “Environmentally friendly activities also positively affect the overall image of milk”.
Continuous development
Isokangas is pleased with the cooperative’s collaboration with Kiilto. New development projects are also underway:
- “We are working together on how to optimise the amount of water used in washing without compromising on the results”, says Isokangas.
- “Saving water is also an environmentally conscious act”.
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