Fresh Servant CEO Sami Haapasalmi welcomes new nutrition guidelines promoting vegetable intake in Finland

The CEO of Fresh Servant, Sami Haapasalmi from Pietarsaari, welcomes the new nutrition guidelines, which promote an increased intake of vegetables, fruits, and berries, raising the target from 500 grams to between 500 and 800 grams per day. Meanwhile, the recommendations advise minimizing the consumption of processed meats, such as cold cuts and sausages. However, Haapasalmi emphasizes the importance of not creating an adversarial relationship with meat in the diet.

“Our mission is to provide consumers with tasty food that simplifies their daily lives, while also helping them incorporate more vegetables into their meals,” he explains. He notes that a varied diet naturally includes meat and protein, highlighting the significance of chicken in ready-made salads.

The sales of Fresh Servant’s pre-packaged salads have seen a remarkable sixfold increase over the past decade, with approximately 90,000 units sold daily, compared to 15,000 a decade ago. The S Group has also reported rising sales, with salad volume increasing over 30% in five years. They currently produce around 1.3 million salad meals each month, particularly peaking in summer as consumers seek light and fresh options for lunch or picnics.

While ready-made salads are selling well, traditional meals like soups and casseroles still dominate sales figures. HKFoods has also experienced growth in salad sales since they began production in 2021, and this trend is expected to continue.

Haapasalmi believes the new guidelines align well with their current recipes as they strive to attract new customer demographics. Furthermore, it has been noted that women tend to consume salads more frequently than men. Terhi Hakkarainen from HKFoods highlights that the guidelines do not impose strict restrictions but significantly affect public food services, such as those in schools and nursing homes, which must adhere to the nutritional recommendations. The actual impact of these guidelines on consumer behavior remains to be seen.