Maustaja

Maustaja Oy is the world’s northernmost and largest contract manufacturer in the Nordics and has taken the industry by storm ever since manufacturing its first product in 1972. Having previously been featured, Inside Food & Drink magazine took the opportunity to ask Sales Manager Pauliina Paavola about the latest company developments. Report by Imogen Ward.

Maustaja Oy creates the very best, awe-inspiring sauces and condiments for 80 contract manufacturing partnerships. As the foundation for all the company’s operations, these relationships are crucial “We have a reputation for being reliable; t hat’s why we don’t have one-time customers,” said Sales Manager Paulina Paavola. “Our customer relationships last for years, and that’s because we are dependable, we stick to our promises, and we do what we can to provide the very best products to be worthy of our customers.”

Located in the Finnish municipality of Pyhäntä, Maustaja is renowned for its ketchup. A country-wide staple made from only the ripest of tomatoes, this sauce is a hit in the Nordic region. Also on offer, for those looking to contract a food manufacturer, are jams, mayonnaises, mustards and sauces.

Winning the nation’s heart, Maustaja’s mustard accounts for 60% of the entire mustard production of Finland – that equates to an astronomical production rate of 10,000kg per day. Maustaja can adapt the product to meet the customers’ preferences. Whether a smooth mustard is required, or texture is key, company offers single or double ground, whole or crushed mustard seed and even powder-based mustards.

Always looking to impress, Maustaja designs and manufactures its products in alignment with the creative brilliance of its customers.

“Our service concept ensures that we do all the work for the customer,”

MAUSTAJA I PROFILE

Ms Paavola said. “We take their ideas and make them a reality; from the package development and manufacturing to the packing of the product. Upon client request, we even deliver the goods to the retail stores. Our service concept is a completely comprehensive journey that revolves around the customer’s initial idea.”

Currently producing four million kilograms of sauce each year, Maustaja is hoping to develop its capabilities with some exciting investments.

Product development

It has been two years since the company completed a €1 million investment into a brand-new PET blowing line. Previously, the company imported bottles from the UK, which was both costly and harmful to the environment. The introduction of this line enabled Maustaja to take a greater hold of the

value chain and reduce its CO2 emissions by an impressive 50,000kg.

With the success of this PET line, the company has developed three new bottle options for its customers.

“We have two different sizes of bottle at the moment, which we can produce in a range of colours,” Ms Paavola explained. “This summer we plan to add three more bottle options to the line. This will help increase our production capacity – we expect to produce five million bottles during this financial year.

“So far, our customers have shown a huge interest in our PET packaging. These bottles provide a lot of advantages: they can help reduce a company’s carbon footprint and they’re recyclable.”

The company also provides customers with a handy packaging selector, which helps them locate the perfect casing for any product. Using a filtering selection

process (by content, volume and material), customers can narrow down the 69 different packaging options to find the perfect one.

Product quality

This year, further product investments have been made at Maustaja. Standing at the forefront of innovation, the company has recently developed a new pouch product –

perfect for snacking. To accommodate the line, a new factory, costing an impressive €6 million, was constructed.

“Our new pouch design enables us to produce a greater range of food categories,” said Ms Paavola. “Previously we manufactured mostly sauces and condiments. The pouch line enables us to meet the growing food-on-the-go trend and significantly broadens our capabilities.”

In anticipation of the pouch’s success, the company has created new food options that are ready to market.

“Three of our new products are an overnight-style apple porridge, chia seed coconut pudding and an oat smoothie,” Ms Paavola said. “We have just presented these items for potential customers at the PLMA fair in Amsterdam.”

With the release of these products, Maustaja intends to extend the pouch range to provide its clients the very best selection

“Our plans are very much focussed on the new pouch investment,” said Ms Paavola. “We are answering the current market trends and giving our consumers extensive options at the same time. We want to continue to provide them with a wide range of choices. I do, however, think people should anticipate more plant-based products from us in the future too:as sustainability becomes more of an industry focus, that is an area we are definitely interested in developing further.”

Product accountability

Maustaja prides itself on providing a service that is quality-driven, food-safe and environmentally responsible. In line with this, the company has generated a list of sustainable goals.

By 2024, the company plans to use 100% renewable electricity. Highlighting Maustaja’s other goals, Ms Paavola said: “By the end of this year, we also plan to reduce our bottle waste by around 50 per cent. As a contract manufacturer, we do use a lot of plastics. We really want to reduce the amount of virgin plastic in our production –the implementation of our PET bottle line was the starting point for that.”

Sustainability is a shared commitment between Maustaja and its customers. The company cares about all its clients and is dedicated to helping them progress on their journey towards improved sustainability.

“Our customers expect a certain level of accountability and action when it comes to sustainability,” Ms Paavola explained. “They have their own environmental goals and requirements, and they trust that we will align with those commitments. This is something that is being assessed for our sustainability report.

“We consider every element in the process, from concept and packaging to the sustainability factor,” she concluded. “Thanks to our service concept, we provide a complete and comprehensive experience, and we do that better than any of our competitors.”