Cottage cheese boom strains Valio’s Seinäjoki factory

Demand for cottage cheese and quark has grown so quickly that Valio’s factory in Seinäjoki has not always kept pace, Yle reports. Production is running at full capacity, and some products have occasionally been unavailable in shops, but the company says it has generally managed to supply retailers.

The factory makes all of Valio’s cottage cheese, quark, protein puddings and protein quark. Factory director Jari Sivunen said milk supplies are sufficient, and the company is working to get products onto shop shelves. The rapid increase in consumption has required Valio to allocate raw materials differently among product groups.

Demand for other high-protein products is also rising in Finland and internationally. Valio says cottage cheese sales have increased for several years, with growth accelerating this year. The company attributes its popularity to several trends, including fitness, replacing meat with dairy protein, and new ways of using cottage cheese promoted in recipes and on social media.

Valio expects demand to continue growing in Finland and export markets. At its Seinäjoki factory, a 70 million euro investment launched in late 2024 is nearing completion. It includes a new laboratory and powder washing centre, as well as modernisation of the milk powder plant. The upgraded equipment is due to enter trial operation in mid-November and will enable production of very high-protein milk powders. Most of the factory’s milk powder is exported for industrial use.