As fresh bread bakers, we are advocates for healthy food and an active lifestyle. We work to promote well-being extensively throughout the bread value chain. With our products, we want to support the overall well-being of bread eaters, which includes many everyday choices – the balance of exercise, healthy eating, rest and enjoyment. The well-being and lifehood of other people in the value chain, such as farmers and our partners, is also important to us. As part of the food system, we want to help Finns feel good and eat within the limits of the planet's carrying capacity.
Healthiness of products
Aiming for fibre and whole grain intake in accordance with the recommendations
Bread is a plant-based and health-friendly choice, which, especially when whole grain, contains fiber and many beneficial nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals and plant-based protein. For us, assessing the healthiness of products is always part of product development.
In Finland, the recommended daily intake of fibre is 25–35 grams*, and on average, a third of it comes from bread, especially rye bread. That's why it's important for us to defend the role of high-fibre bread in a healthy diet.
Since treats also have their place as part of a good everyday life and celebrations, our selection also includes Street Food products. We have set nutritional targets for these as well, for example, for fibre content.
Even though Finns are a true rye bread nation due to their rich bread culture, and rye bread contains a relatively large amount of whole grains and fibre, we as a nation do not actually eat whole grains in accordance with nutritional recommendations. Many people don't think about the fact that in addition to rye and oat bread, wheat bread can also be a good source of fibre if it is baked from whole wheat.
Whole grains are good for both human and planetary health
Whole grain is a good choice not only for health but also for the environment. The climate benefit of whole grains arises when the grain is used in its entirety, i.e. less grain grains are needed per loaf of bread than for bread baked from refined, white flour. Whole grain products are an important part of the so-called planetary diet, which contains foods that support health and well-being to such an extent that human nutritional needs are met within the planet's carrying capacity.
The new Finnish nutrition recommendations published in autumn 2024 included for the first time an intake recommendation for whole grains: it would be recommended to eat at least 90 g of whole grain products per day.
At Vaasan, we have become an advocate of whole grains and set a goal that by 2030, 60% of the products we sell will be whole grains, i.e. more than 50% of their grain raw materials will be whole grains.
Careful with salt
In addition to whole grain and fiber, we look at the salt content of our breads. A large number of Finns get too much salt from their diet compared to the recommendations. Therefore, you should pay attention to the amount of salt. We want to bake healthy bread for Finns that is tasty for all ages. This includes striving to reduce the amount of salt in a goal-oriented manner, but salt is one of the most important ingredients for a baker and its amount in bread affects many things. Salt gives the bread flavor, but it also has an effect on the bread's bakability, texture and shelf life.
Most of our breads are normally salty (max 1.1 g of salt/100 g), because with low salt contents, the structure of the bread easily breaks down and the taste disappears. We are constantly testing recipes that contain less salt, and our selection also includes Vaasan Piimälimppu and Vaasan Vaasan Limppu, which contain less salt. Oat heart. Our goal is to gradually reduce the salt content of our bread by 10% by 2030 from the 2019 level.
Responsible sourcing and domesticity
We source most of the raw materials and services we need from Finland from trusted, long-term partners. However, not all of the raw materials we need are manufactured in Finland, which is why we also have an international supplier network in Europe and outside Europe, whose operations are regularly evaluated through audits, surveys and continuous dialogue. We are aware of the higher human rights and environmental risks associated with certain countries of origin and raw materials, and we are constantly developing our sourcing process to manage these risks. Lantmännen Unibake's Supplier Code of Conduct sets expectations for our own partners, and we regularly monitor their fulfilment.
Domesticity and origin of raw materials
It is important to us that all the bread we bake in Finland is baked from domestic flour whenever possible, and we have made a commitment to be domestic for rye and oats. However, not all ingredients for bread are available in Finland. Of the raw materials of the fresh breads baked in the Vaasan brand's Finland, 95% of the volume is of Finnish origin. Bakeries in Estonia and Lithuania also bake mainly from local ingredients.
The future of domestic farming is a common concern
Farmers are a particularly important stakeholder for us, and we are concerned about the future of domestic grain if the younger generations do not see farming as a meaningful livelihood that secures their livelihoods. We want to do our part in supporting and encouraging farmers and increasing the attractiveness of the sector. For example, we have been distributing Thank the Producer scholarships in cooperation with ProAgria and our customer Kesko for several years.
Building a bread culture
We have a long history as a Finnish baker, and we want to build a rich Finnish bread culture far into the future. Vaasan is closely involved in the everyday life of Finns, as according to the Finnish Bread Information, about 40 kilograms of bread is eaten in Finland per year for every Finn*. However, the role of bread in the Finnish diet is challenged by many trends in modern consumption, such as convenience, quick eating and snacks that can be eaten on the go.
Our task is to remind people that bread is an excellent and easy breakfast, snack or evening snack, which promotes well-being, especially when whole grains. It is also easy to build an entire meal on fibre-rich bread in a climate-friendly and environmentally friendly way. We also want to raise the discussion about the nutritional values and environmental impacts of cold cuts, and what kind of new options could be found in the selection of cold cuts in the future.
