Skånemejerier: Pioneering dairy producer with ambitious long-term vision

For 60 years, Skånemejerier has provided some of Sweden’s most loved products. With roots in a farmer cooperative and its heart in the agricultural landscape of Skåne, Skånemejerier continues its journey to offer locally produced dairy in the most sustainable way possible.

Founded as a farmer cooperative in 1964, Skånemejerier is southern Sweden’s leading dairy producer in milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, skimmed milk, quark, juices and smoothies. Its goal is to provide healthy options for increasingly more conscious consumers and over the years, the company has introduced a range of innovative products without compromising on flavour.

The company’s vision is to be the most sustainable dairy producer in Sweden. “We create value for our consumers by providing them with high qualitative, nutritious and innovative dairy products and juices, in a profitable and responsible way for our people, our company and our planet,” says Anette Gregow, director of communications and sustainability.

Innovative products with heaps of flavour

Well-known pioneering products from Skånemejerier include Sweden’s first ready-to-drink juice in 1973 under the brand Bravo and Sweden’s first functional food with ProViva in 1994. In 2001, Skånemejerier launched the first locally produced lactose-free milk in Sweden, and 2017 saw the first-ever Bravo Smoothie, which is now market-leading.

Amongst its broad range of popular brands, you might recognize Allerum, which is the market leader in aged cheeses with classics such as Präst®, Herrgård® and Grevé®. Making cheese is a craft, Gregow believes. “All Allerum cheeses are handcrafted in Kristianstad,” she says. “Our teams are highly experienced, they use only the best produce, and they let the cheeses take their time – it’s like art, we actually call them cheese masters.” Lindahls is another beloved brand, one of Sweden’s leaders in quark. In 2023, Lindahls changed its classic high-protein quark recipe, which is now even creamier than before. Great as a snack, for breakfast and before or after a workout.

“What’s fantastic is that we’re working with a natural product, milk, which is fully-packed with nutrients,” says Gregow and reveals that milk actually contains 18 out of 22 of the nutrients that our body needs. In order to get the same nutritional value, you would need to eat a lot of other foods. “Every day, we collect fresh milk from farms in the region and transform it into nutritious and tasty products.”

Sustainable journey from farm to consumer

Skånemejerier’s four production facilities in southern Sweden are run with 98 percent renewable energy, whilst 80 percent of its packaging consists of renewable material and 96 percent is recyclable. And in October last year, Skånemejerier launched the program Sustainable Dairy Farm (Hållbar mjölkgård), with the goal of working closely with dairy farmers to increase the positive impact on animals’ well-being and to decrease the environmental footprint.

“Sustainability is everything from how the farmers keep the animals to transport, production, and packaging,” says Gregow, and confirms that Skånemejerier exclusively uses milk from around 300 local dairy farms, farms that put the welfare of their cows first. “The mild climate in southern Sweden ensures the cows have a longer stay outside during the summer months. On average, the cows at our milk suppliers are outside 36 days more than the law requires. Also, nine out of ten cows are free-range, whilst the average in Sweden is 79 percent. Our goal is 100 percent in 2030.”

In addition to its ambitious work on sustainability, Skånemejerier is committed to the local community. An example is Kalvinknatet, Sweden’s largest race for children with over 30,000 kids taking part every year, organised in collaboration with local sports associations. For many years, Skånemejerier has also had a close collaboration with Skåne Stadsmission to provide support and food for people living in vulnerable situations. In 2023, nearly 60 tonnes of surplus products were donated to Stadsmissionen in Skåne, Stockholm and Gothenburg.

“Choosing products from Skånemejerier is not just an ordinary act when doing your weekly grocery shopping, it’s an honest act of love and something to be proud of,” concludes Gregow. “It’s as if the farmer comes to your home with fresh dairy products every morning.”

Web: foretag.skanemejerier.se
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Instagram: @skanemejerier
LinkedIn: @skanemejerier

Skånemejerier was founded in 1964 as a farmers’ cooperative. Its broad brand portfolio consists of Skånemejerier, Bravo, Åsens, Allerum, Lindahls, Salakis, Galbani, Président, Ljuva and more. Since 2012, Skånemejerier has been owned by Lactalis, the largest dairy products group in the world with around 90,000 employees in 94 countries.