The food industry is in transition and that was apparent at the SIAL Paris 2022 fair this month. This year’s theme #ownthechange shone a light on the move towards better-quality food accessible to everyone.

The past few years have been turbulent, which has put pressure on the food industry to bring on real change and redefine its priorities. The consumers are more aware than ever of the impact of food on the world they live in, and they believe their choices can make a difference.

Consumers all over the world are putting their focus on healthy and locally produced foods. They also want to ensure their food is ethically produced.

Not surprisingly, during these unsteady times, people are turning more and more towards food for enjoyment. Tasty comfort foods are a great way to destress and bring some much-needed peace and warmth into their daily lives.

Clean and healthy eating with focus on quality

Clean eating and healthy living are trending all over the world. As the demand for healthier products is rising, many are turning their attention to the quality of the food they are eating.

“Quality was definitely one of the most discussed about topics at our stand this year. Consumers are quality-conscious, which means our customers also pay special attention to it. With less to spend, consumers want to spend it well,” says Seppo Pellikka, Export Manager at Atria.

Atria has focused on the health aspect for years, and as a result, all our chicken meat and most of our pork are completely antibiotic-free. This means the animals are raised in such a way that they live healthy lives, and do not need to be given any antibiotics during their lifespan. Also, no growth hormones are used in Atria’s meat production.

“People are always interested in our methods for antibiotic-free grown meat, and many people visiting our stand wanted to know exactly how it’s done,” Pellikka adds.

Ethical and sustainable food production

Another theme close to Atria’s core is the ethical treatment of animals. We were pleasantly surprised that this topic was highlighted at SIAL by many other participants as well.

Atria’s meats come from animals that are raised on respected family farms in Finland. The animals get to live in conditions that are optimized to keep them healthy and stress-free, they are fed with high-quality feed, and have fresh water always available. There’s also enough space for them to lie down and rest comfortably.

Sustainability of food production is also a very important topic to Atria, as our goal is to have a carbon-neutral food chain by 2035.

“At least to me it seemed that at SIAL Paris sustainability is no longer just a buzz word, but such an integral part of the industry that it no longer warrants special mentions. People already expect that their food is produced sustainably, so it’s no longer a differentiating factor,” Pellikka reflects.

Tasty food, even on a budget

Prices are going up everywhere, but people still want to enjoy food. At SIAL Paris the focus was on affordable delicacies.

Atria’s meats have been dubbed by some of our customers as “affordable premium”. Our meat has the taste and texture that is parallel to the most high-end meats available. However, our from field to fork traceability principles show that the chain from field to fork is short, which helps keep the costs down.

“At SIAL, many of the visitors at our stand commented on the pure and clean taste of our samples. Our Quick & Tender Chicken seasoned with black pepper and small Werneri sausages were met with enthusiasm,” Pellikka mentions.

Did you miss us at SIAL Paris, but would still like to have a taste of our samples?