The journey of the Omega-3 Pork in China

The Chinese have been number one fans of the pork for thousands of years. A pig under the roof is the written character for home and family. Believe or not, songs and poems have been dedicated to this meaty backyard waste management unit on four trotters since forever.

The export journey of Finnish quality pork started from Forssa production unit on 23 April, 2018.

“Pork quality requirements in China are among the world’s strictest,” states Jukka Nikkinen, Head of HKScan exports. “The Chinese way to utilize all parts of the carcass in their cuisine is very sustainable. Meaty bones and feet are important and highly valued raw ingredients in Chinese cuisine.”

Taste is king

HKScan provides this nordic treat for the best restaurants as well. The top chefs were interested and Michelin star restaurant Celebrity Cuisine in Hong Kong was among the first to include the HKScan Omega-3 Pork in their menu. Restaurant’s Top Chef Mr Cheng Kam Fu visited Finland in the summer.

Matti Hakkarainen, Head of Business Development at HKScan, has kept a keen eye while testing the Omega-3 Pork with the master chefs:

"My favourite is the naked pork." (Yes, you heard right.) "You take a good-sized part between the collar and the back, a special cut called pluma. Then you just rub on some simple seasoning and fry. The thing here is to leave the pork slightly rosé. You don't normally do this with pork in Finland, but I suggest you try! And remember to let the meat rest a few minutes before serving it."

Good start to the year - Important contract with Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba

The year of the pig started with great news! HKScan is the first company in the Finnish meat industry to get products to Alibaba’s grocery retail reinventing Hema supermarkets and online store.  

“Hema chain stands out in the Chinese market with high-quality and exceptional products. This chain is very hard to get in to, only a couple of Finnish products have been accepted to the chain. The pure taste, healthier fat composition plus the arctic twist of our products convinced Hema and they made a quick decision to include our products to their selection, Nikkinen continues. Read more.

No to antibiotic drugs

With the Omega-3 Pork antibiotics are never used. This is important. The world-wide massive use of antibiotics in livestock farming as well as in human medication has created a global health hazard, in the form of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, also known as superbugs.

People everywhere have woken up to the importance of responsibly produced food. They are interested about the origin of the meat, how the animals have been treated, quality related matters and also how the production chain is affecting the environment. People want to make sure that they get the best, the safest and the healthiest food for their children.

Food safety at HKScan is self-evident. However, safety doesn’t come for free - it requires persistent and committed work. As a result, the animals in the HKScan farms are among the healthiest in the world.

"Our key competitive advantage is our diligent control of the entire value chain from farm to fork, which has convinced our Chinese partners of our reliability,” Jukka Nikkinen says.

Love me tender

Finnish Rypsiporsas® (Omega-3 Pork) stands out from the competition with its superior quality and responsible production. The GMO free Omega-3 Pork has been raised with crops from the local farms, enchanted with rapeseed. This combination ensures that the meat is very tender, fat is softer and the fatty acids are in ideal balance.

Fat quality plays a key role in our health. Too much saturated fat increases the risk of many illnesses, like cardiovascular diseases. It is recommended to replace saturated fat with unsaturated fat in our diet. Omega-3 Pork meets the high standards, and it can be the key factor on our way to healthier diet.

We will follow how the story of Omega-3 Pork continues - stay tuned!