HKScan celebrated the official opening of its Asian sales office with the launch of Omega-3 pork products in Hong Kong on 13 January 2016. The invitational event was attended by local partners, Finnish consular representatives in Hong Kong, government authorities and media representatives. Speakers included HKScan representatives and a specialist view was given by Pekka Puska, a Finnish professor and expert on public health.
The flagship product in HKScan’s Asian offering is its family of tasty, tender-textured Omega-3 pork products, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. This unique family of products – henceforth to be marketed as Flodins® Omega-3 pork – will first be sold through a selection of restaurants, after which it will eventually become available via wholesalers and retailers.
For many years now Asia has been an important export market for HKScan. Its leading Asia-bound products are Finnish-grown pork bellies and pork loins exported to Japan, a market with a high appreciation for pure, unpolluted foods. HKScan also exports Danish-grown chicken wings and drumsticks to Korea and Malaysia as well as Swedish-sourced products such as pork trotters and offal to various Asian countries.
“Up to now we have only exported frozen meats to Asia. The launch of fresh meat exports is a new inroad for us. Thanks to our efficiently coordinated cold chain, our Finnish Omega-3 pork products will find their way fresh to our Asian customers within 24 hours,” says Jukka Nikkinen, Executive Vice President, Away from Home at HKScan.
Omega-3 pork answers Asia’s rising call for health and responsibility
HKScan’s exports are a direct response to current demand patterns in Asia, where consumers are showing a growing preference for healthier foods and lifestyles. Healthy diet choices are a rising trend particularly among the young urban population in Asia.
“HKScan has a good reputation not only for its high quality but also for its responsible production. We are delighted to have the opportunity to launch our premium offering in Hong Kong at a time when local consumers are becoming increasingly conscious of food quality, purity, safety and responsible production methods,” says Hannu Kottonen, CEO of HKScan Group.
“HKScan’s key assets are the transparency of our production chain, the traceability of our raw materials and our good animal health status, and this naturally goes for our exports too. Finland and Sweden for instance observes a zero-tolerance policy on salmonella, which is rare by European and global standards,” adds Kottonen.
Export presence to expand further
In the near future HKScan will be seeking further growth in Mainland China, Japan, Singapore, Korea and other Asian markets. Expansion into Asia via Hong Kong as its launch-pad is part of the company’s profitable growth strategy. Having a local presence in Asia is critical for the Group’s export expansion strategy in Asia, affirms Kottonen.
“We plan to open a second sales office in China as soon as the authorities have completed processing the relevant permits and our exports from Finland to China begin in earnest. It is highly important that we work together efficiently and systematically to secure export permits for a variety of meats and processed products across all our production countries. Our office in Hong Kong is a commission agent that offers other high-quality Nordic food brands the opportunity to establish a presence on the growing Asian market alongside HKScan,” says Kottonen.
HKScan currently exports to nearly 50 countries around the world.
For further details:
Please contact Hannu Kottonen, CEO of HKScan Group.
Kindly submit a call-back request via Marja-Leena Dahlskog, SVP Communications, marja-leena.dahlskog(at)hkscan.com or tel. +358 10 570 2142.
HKScan
HKScan is the leading Nordic meat expert. We sell, market and produce high-quality, responsibly-produced pork, beef, poultry and lamb products, processed meats and convenience foods under strong brand names. Our customers are the retail, food service, industrial and export sectors, and our home markets comprise Finland, Sweden, Denmark and the Baltics. We export to close to 50 countries. HKScan’s net sales total EUR 2.0 billion and we have some 7 700 employees, making us one of the Europe’s leading meat companies.
Rypsiporsas® / Rapsgris® / Omega-3 pork
HK Rypsiporsas® / Omega-3 pork is a globally unique innovation resulting from many years of extensive R&D. In Sweden it is marketed under the Scan Rapsgris® trademark. The pigs are fed on a special GMO-free diet of Finnish- and Swedish-grown grain and Brassica napus oil seeds (also known as rapeseed), supplemented with home-grown sources of protein such as peas and broad beans. The pigs’ diet is 100% free of imported soybean meal. The pigs’ dietary composition, consumption and growth rates are monitored carefully. All Finnish-reared Rypsiporsas® / Omega-3 pork is sourced exclusively from carefully selected Finnish farms. All Scan Rapsgris® products are sourced only from Sweden.
Rypsiporsas® / Omega-3 pork has a healthier unsaturated fat composition, as unsaturated fatty acids predominate over saturated fats. This results in a softer-textured, tenderer and ultimately tastier meat than regular pork.
Omega-3 pork is a direct response to rising Asian demand for ethical, health-conscious products, affirms HKScan’s CEO Hannu Kottonen, here accompanied by Juha Yrjönen, director of Asian operations and Jukka Nikkinen, EVP Away from Home.
The speakers at the official launch included HKScan’s CEO Hannu Kottonen (centre). Professor Pekka Puska (right) shared a health expert’s perspective.
HKScan's AfH Marketing and Development Manager Risto Mikkola adds the finishing touches to nordic style prepared dishes from Omega-3 pork.
The invited guests were offered samples of Omega-3 pork prepared both Nordic and Asian style.
Jaakko Sorsa, head chef at FINDS in Hong Kong, prepared a selection of tempting dishes from newly launched Flodins® Omega-3 pork.