Hailia starts cooperation with Kalavapriikki and S Group – groundbreaking food product from rainbow trout sidestreams hits over 500 stores

Finnish food tech company Hailia announces it is starting cooperation with fish supplier Kalavapriikki and S Group, a retail cooperative that holds a 48% market share of Finnish retail and also operates in Estonia. The innovative Nyhtökirjolohi, or “pulled rainbow trout” product, launched under S Group’s Kotimaista private label and made from rainbow trout side streams provided by Kalavapriikki, hits the shelves of over 500 grocery stores and supermarkets in September.

Hailia’s groundbreaking technology takes the parts of the fish that are discarded in the filleting process but are still nutritious and full of meat, such as frames, heads and fins, and turns them into a tasty food product that is ready to use. The texture of the end product resembles that of cooked fish fillet, making it a versatile ingredient for home kitchens and industrial food producers alike. The product launched now uses rainbow trout, but the process can also be applied to other fish as well.

“We are committed to driving the blue food revolution and redefining seafood industry practices to operate within planetary boundaries while improving profitability. However, no company can do this alone. Through this partnership with S Group and Kalavapriikki, we can provide a very strong proof of concept for this entire circular concept. The food produced with Hailia’s patent-pending technology ticks all the boxes required by industrial food producers, including sufficient production capacity to meet the needs of a major retail chain like S Group,” says Michaela Lindström, CEO of Hailia.

The world’s seafood consumption is expected to increase by 50% by 2050, and there is a clear need for new low-carbon proteins. To meet the demand, the seafood industry must improve its resource-efficiency. This also helps companies in the industry to align their operations with increasing environmental obligations.

“Fish has disappeared from the dinner tables of many urban people and young families even though research shows that consumers would like to eat more fish. We are passionate about answering this challenge, because we want to bring domestic fish back into Finnish people’s everyday diet. This new product allows us to make more food out of the same raw material, which is also good for the climate and environment,” says Jari Korhonen, CEO of Kalavapriikki.

Currently, fish processing companies sell their sidestreams mainly for feed or fish oil production. However, selling them for use in food products is 10 to 15 times more profitable and can provide a significant boost for the international fishing industry, which in many parts of the world struggles with declining quotas and increasing environmental obligations.

“Today’s consumers want good taste and sustainability in the same package. There is strong demand for affordable fish products for everyday use, and Hailia’s innovation allows us to answer that demand even better than before. The pulled rainbow trout is an excellent addition to our own product line, as the product seamlessly combines good taste, domesticity, ease, and affordability,” said Mikko Kovalainen, sales manager, S Group.

Hailia’s ambition is to establish similar partnerships internationally and to licence its unique technology to fish processing companies. The company is currently raising capital in a funding round closing later in the year. In April 2024, Hailia won the World Food Innovation Award for best technology, and the company was listed as one of the 30 most interesting circular economy solutions for nature by the World Circular Economy Forum.