Experiences in reducing fat and salt in convenience food

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Experiences in reducing fat and salt in
convenience food

• Soile Käkönen
• Health Nutrition manager
• HK Ruokatalo Ltd

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The image of convenience food
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Taste
Convenience
Healthiness
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How do we make convenience food healthy?

• Sufficient amount of energy
• Not too much fat
• lt35 of energy
• Good fat quality
• Saturated fat lt33 of total fat
• Not too much salt (sodium)
• Max. 300 mg Sodium/100g
• Fibre
• 3g/100g ? claim contains fibre
• Possible additional ingredients
• Omega 3 fatty acids

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Case Via-not only delicious but also healthy!
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Consumers were looking for something better

• THE RANGE OF CONVENIENCE FOOD DIDNT MEET THE
  NEEDS OF CONSUMERS
• It is seen unhealthy
• Social pressures especially among families with
  children
• Not esthetical definitely not something you
  would offer for someone
• BUT VIA MADE A REVOLUTION!
• Trendy, inspiring and always a little bit ahead
  of time
• Offers something new and different regarding
  taste and technology
• MicVac technology is based on fast microwave
  heating
• It helps to preserve freshness, texture, colour
  and original taste of ingredients also
  vegetables
• Products taste like they would have just been
  made
• Delicious and healthy convenience food

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All Via MicVac -meals are healthy!

• All Via-meals are designed to fulfil the demands
  of nutritionally high quality meals
• Right amount of energy
• Low in fat (max 4)
• Fat quality is good (soft fat instead of hard
  fat)
• Low in sodium (salt) ? only 0,75 salt
• Contain heart healthy omega 3 fatty acids ? you
  get ½ of your daily need from one Via meal
• High in protein ? light meal but keeps you full
• No preservatives
• Low in lactose

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How to replace salt

• Salt is a preservative, gives texture, taste
• Less salt
• Salt replacers
• Mineral salts
• Herbs
• Acidic flavours
• Layer seasoning
• Technology

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Taste health in the same product

• People want healthy food but are afraid that
  healthy doesnt taste good
• Consumer doesnt have to choose between the taste
  and health, both are included in the same HK
  product
• When you eat HKs products, you know you are
  eating healthy
• ? Taste is always number one. You get healthiness
  on top of that.
• Team of chefs working for good taste
• Nutrition expert working together with chefs
• Good taste throughout the industrial process

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GDA-labelling (Guideline Daily Amount)
Tells you how many calories there are in one
portion of food
This is the percentage of your overall GDA that
you are about to eat
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Heart symbol- better choice

• A better choice regarding fat and salt in its own
  product category
• 86 of the consumers recognize the symbol and 44
  uses it as a tool in buying decisions
• HK Ruokatalo has Heart Symbol products in every
  food category
• Convenience foods
• Salads
• Whole meat cuts
• Sausages

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We make good food that makes you feel good

• You can see healthiness in
• Products
• There are healthy options in every product
  category
• Internet
• www.tiesydameen.fi wellbeing section
• Communicating
• Consumers, experts, customers
• Advertising
• Roadshows, TV, outdoor, instore, fairs
• Finnish wellbeing
• HK Ruokatalo nourishes many Finnish people, so we
  consider our products have a great impact to
  Finnish health

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VUODEN TÄHTITUOTE 2008

• STAR PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2008