Meat that comes from respected Finnish family farms
You can get a wide variety of chicken, beef, and pork products from Atria. Be it pork loin, roast beef or chicken breast, our meat tastes like great meat, and nothing else. To achieve this, we combine good feed and species-appropriate animal husbandry at Finnish family farms. Animals get to drink the same, clean water as humans, as Finland has a plentiful supply of fresh ground water.
Our pigs, chickens, and cattle have plenty of room and space in the barns. This way we reduce stress, and the animals are happy and satisfied, which in turn guarantees that the meat is juicy and tender. With too much stress the meat becomes tough and dry.
We never use hormones and antibiotics are used only on rare occasions – our animals grow up naturally and healthy. Finnish chicken is always antibiotic-free and more and more of our pork is also grown without antibiotics.
See how Atria expands antibiotic-free grown pork production >>
Pigs are fed according to a precise feeding plan
At every stage in production, animals have their own unique needs, and the content of feeds varies depending on the production phase.
The main raw ingredient in pig feed is grain. The majority of this is produced on Finnish farms. In addition, supplementary protein – such as Finnish liquid barley protein – is essential for growth and well-being.
Liquid barley protein, a concentrate of Finnish barley, is a by-product of ethanol and starch production at Anora’s Koskenkorva plant. More than half of the pigs slaughtered by Atria have been fed Finnish barley protein feed as their main form of supplementary protein.
Finnish feed company A-Rehu is a subsidiary of Atria Finland. A-Rehu only uses certified, responsibly produced soya in its own products.
Feeding plans must also be designed to ensure that animals receive sufficient amounts of vitamins, micronutrients and minerals.
Well-treated chickens raised without antibiotics taste better
Each farm has its own story, and the equipment and technologies may vary as well. However, what they all have in common is responsible operations according to the Atria Quality Handbook.
The chickens are well taken care of on all the farms and raised entirely without antibiotics or hormones. This ensures a good life for the chickens and safe, tasty, high-quality products for consumers.
Chickens are free to eat as much as they need as often as they need it. There is sufficient space for all of the chickens to eat and drink simultaneously.
Chickens are fed wholegrain wheat and industrially manufactured feed to safeguard the health of the chickens. The industrial feed is manufactured from Finnish grain and supplemented with protein, minerals, as well as micronutrient and vitamin components. This feed is made from Finnish de-hulled oats, wheat, peas, and broad beans by A-Rehu. Some additional soya feed can be used, when necessary, and it’s always certified and responsibly produced. Wholegrain wheat is added on the farm, and that often comes from the farm itself or somewhere nearby.
Cattle farms across the country – even above the Arctic Circle
Atria has a total of almost 3 500 contract producers of beef all over Finland. There are farms as far south as the island of Åland and as far north as Ivalo. All the suckler cows and most of the dairy cows pasture in the summer. Beef is obtained both from dairy and beef cattle. Dairy-breed bulls constitute a significant proportion of all Finnish beef. Four of every five slaughtered animals are dairy breed.
Cattle are fed according to a feeding plan that considers the needs of each phase in production. Silage and wholegrain silage in the winter, and fresh grass during the pasture season, all of which are produced on the farms themselves, form the basis of nourishment for all cattle. Grass feed has a positive impact on the fatty acid composition of beef.
In Finland, the primary source of protein for cattle is Finnish rapeseed extract and ground European colza, which are by-products of vegetable oil production. Additionally, Atria’s contract farms use significant amounts of protein feeds derived from barley mash, which is a by-product of Finnish breweries, as well as starch produced in the manufacture of grain ethanol at Anora’s Koskenkorva plant.