Scan Magazine | Special Theme | A Taste of Sweden
Tasty food for a tech-savvy, health conscious crowd With innovation, sustainability, convenience and great service at heart, Solina Group helps chefs and other food lovers cook up tasty, safe treats and meals. This year, according to research and development manager Susanne Rask, technology and new sources of protein take centre stage. By Linnea Dunne | Photos: Solina Group
“Our trend report from last year shows that sustainability and health are what it’s all about – people are buying by weight rather than pre-packaged, and the meat industry is looking around to see how they can adapt and improve,” Rask explains, mentioning Gram, a package-free shop that opened in Malmö recently with a bring-your-own jars concept. “The population here in Sweden is growing very quickly, so we’re going to have an older generation that’s very conscious; they 50 | Issue 97 | February 2017
know what they want and they’re happy to pay for it.” A big part of the development, linked to both health and sustainability, is what she refers to as ‘the protein shift’. As more and more consumers choose to cut down on or completely exclude meat from their diet, alternative sources of protein are required. More than a third of respondents in a survey conducted for Macklean’s 2016 report wanted to cut
down on their meat consumption, and almost 50 per cent were looking to buy more alternative proteins. “A lot of this is about the vegetarian segment,” says Rask, “but the interest and research in the potential use of insects, mostly as made into flour and liquid products, is increasing as well. They’re hugely taste-enhancing.”
Strength in numbers Solina Group was technically founded in 2012 through a merger between Savena Group and Sfinc Group, but the collective experience now comprised within the group counts to 40 years and an expertise covering areas such as seasonings, flavourings, brines, stocks and functional solutions, not to mention a foothold