Valio
A Finnish cooperative-owned dairy and food company with major consumer, ingredient, export, and plant-based businesses.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Valio Oy is a Finnish dairy and food company founded in 1905 by 17 cooperative dairies. It developed originally as a butter-export organization and later expanded into a broad food business covering milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, milk powders, whey ingredients, lactose-free products, desserts, and plant-based foods. The company is Finland’s largest milk processor and is owned by Finnish dairy cooperatives rather than public-market shareholders. Through those cooperatives, Valio is connected to approximately 3,200 dairy farms, whose production supplies a large share of Finland’s milk. The ownership model links the company’s commercial performance with the economic interests of Finnish dairy farmers. Valio’s early business was export-oriented. Its original base was in Hanko, and Britain was an important initial market for Finnish butter. During the 1920s, the company expanded beyond butter and began exporting processed cheese and other dairy products to several European countries and the United States. Its domestic product portfolio also widened, including the Koskenlaskija processed-cheese brand, introduced in 1933. International trade remained important throughout the twentieth century, with milk powder, cheese, butter, and other dairy ingredients becoming significant export categories. Scientific research has been central to Valio’s identity. Chemist Artturi Ilmari Virtanen worked at Valio and later received the 1945 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for research and inventions in agricultural and nutrition chemistry, including methods for preserving fodder. His work contributed to the company’s long-standing emphasis on dairy science, nutrition, processing technology, and product development. Valio states that it holds more than 300 patents in approximately 50 countries. A major technological and commercial turning point came with lactose-free dairy. In 2001, Valio introduced a lactose-free milk drink designed to retain the fresh taste associated with ordinary milk rather than the sweeter profile of some earlier lactose-reduced products. The company patented a chromatographic process for removing lactose and subsequently marketed lactose-free products in several international markets. This capability became one of Valio’s most recognizable areas of expertise and helped establish the company as an innovator in functional and digestive-health-oriented dairy products. Valio also operates in the business-to-business ingredients market. Its exports include butter, milk powders, whey powders, and other ingredients used by food, confectionery, ice-cream, and infant-formula manufacturers. The company has maintained international sales and subsidiaries or operating structures in markets including Sweden, China, Estonia, and the United States. Its Finland-based production for domestic sales and exports uses milk sourced from Finnish owner farms, while its Estonian operations procure milk locally under defined quality controls. The company has gradually diversified beyond conventional dairy. In 2018 it introduced Oddlygood, an international plant-based brand initially built around oat products and later expanded into drinks, yogurt alternatives, cheese alternatives, and desserts. Valio acquired the Gold&Green brand and associated product-development activities in 2022, strengthening its position in foods based on oats, peas, and fava beans. In 2025 it acquired Raisio’s plant-protein business, including the Härkis and Beanit brands, the related Kauhava production equipment, and associated employees. Valio’s portfolio has also changed through divestments. It sold its ice-cream business to Nestlé in 2004, with rights to use the Valiojäätelö name continuing for a limited period before the business became associated with the Froneri Finland joint venture. In Belgium, Valio’s products moved under the Dilea name after the sale of the Belgian subsidiary in 2012. Sustainability is presented by Valio as a combination of cooperative ownership, animal welfare, food safety, climate-impact reduction, biodiversity, packaging development, and circular-economy initiatives. In 2022, Valio established Suomen Lantakaasu with St1 to produce biogas from manure generated by dairy farms. In 2024, it launched Food 2.0, a Finnish food-system and export-development program involving research, industrial cooperation, and a wider partner ecosystem. Valio therefore combines a traditional dairy cooperative model with global ingredients, consumer brands, scientific innovation, and expansion into plant-based and circular food technologies.
History
Valio was established in 1905 by 17 cooperative dairies under a name meaning Butter Export Cooperative Valio. Its first important commercial base was Hanko, and the company initially concentrated on exporting Finnish butter to Britain. From 1909 onward, it broadened its activities to other dairy products. During the 1920s, Valio developed export relationships for processed cheese and other products in Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, France, Norway, Belgium, and the United States. In 1933, it began producing Koskenlaskija processed cheese in Helsinki, creating one of its enduring Finnish product brands. Research became a defining part of Valio’s development. Artturi Ilmari Virtanen worked in the company’s laboratory and conducted influential research on agricultural and nutrition chemistry. His work on fodder preservation was recognized with the 1945 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The connection helped establish Valio’s reputation for applying scientific research to animal nutrition, milk quality, food processing, and product innovation. During the 1950s, Valio expanded exports of milk powder, cheese, and butter into markets including Algeria and Morocco. Finnish cheeses performed particularly well in Germany and Italy. The company also sold Emmental or Swiss-style cheese in the United States under the “Cheeses from Finland” identity. In the late 1970s, the Finlandia brand was developed for the northeastern United States; Valio acquired that brand in 1992 and expanded its distribution across the country. Valio’s international activity later included technical cooperation and dairy-ingredient sales in Asia. In 1986, it began sharing dairy-production expertise and selling related equipment in China. Its DEMI demineralized whey powder was used in China, Taiwan, South Korea, and other markets for products such as chocolate, ice cream, and infant formula. Valio established an office in Shanghai in 2001 to support ingredient and technology sales. The company’s most important product-technology milestone was its lactose-free milk. In 2001, Valio launched a lactose-free milk drink designed to taste closer to ordinary fresh milk than earlier lactose-reduced alternatives. It patented a chromatographic method for separating lactose and marketed the resulting products in markets including Sweden, Estonia, and the United States. This technology helped make lactose-free dairy a central part of Valio’s international identity. Valio changed its portfolio through both acquisitions and divestments. It sold its ice-cream business to Nestlé in 2004. The use of the Valiojäätelö name continued for a limited period and the operation later became part of the Froneri Finland structure. In 2012, Valio sold its Belgian subsidiary, after which products previously sold under Valio in Belgium were marketed under the Dilea name. In the twenty-first century, Valio increasingly combined its dairy business with plant-based foods and sustainability initiatives. It launched Oddlygood in 2018 with oat-based products and expanded the brand into plant-based drinks, yogurt alternatives, cheese alternatives, and desserts. In 2022, it acquired Gold&Green and its product-development activities. The same year, it withdrew from Russia following European Union sanctions and formed Suomen Lantakaasu with St1 to produce biogas from dairy-farm manure. In 2024, Valio launched Food 2.0, a collaborative research and development program aimed at future food systems and Finnish export competitiveness. In 2025, it acquired Raisio’s plant-protein business, including the Härkis and Beanit brands and the Kauhava production assets. These moves illustrate Valio’s shift from a primarily dairy-export company toward a broader food enterprise encompassing dairy science, ingredients, consumer products, plant proteins, and circular-economy solutions. Valio remains owned by Finnish dairy cooperatives. It operates production facilities in Finland and Estonia, has international subsidiaries or operations in several countries, and exports consumer and industrial food products to approximately 50 countries. Its Finnish production and exports rely on milk from owner farms, while its Estonian operations source locally under monitored quality requirements.
- 2025
Raisio plant-protein business acquired
[1]Valio acquires the Härkis and Beanit brands and related plant-protein assets from Raisio.
- 2024
Food 2.0 begins
[1]Valio launches a collaborative program focused on the future food system and Finnish food exports.
- 2022
Plant-based and biogas expansion
[1]Valio acquires Gold&Green, exits Russia, and establishes the Suomen Lantakaasu biogas joint venture with St1.
- 2018
Oddlygood launches
[1]Valio introduces its plant-based Oddlygood brand with oat-based products.
- 2004
Ice-cream business is divested
[1]Valio sells its ice-cream activity to Nestlé.
- 2001
Lactose-free milk drink launches
[1]Valio commercializes a lactose-free milk drink using patented separation technology.
- 1992
Valio acquires the Finlandia brand
[1]Valio acquires Finlandia and subsequently expands its distribution in the United States.
- 1986
Technical cooperation begins in China
[1]Valio begins sharing dairy expertise and selling related equipment in China.
- 1945
Virtanen receives the Nobel Prize in Chemistry
[1]Valio scientist Artturi Ilmari Virtanen receives the Nobel Prize for agricultural and nutrition chemistry research.
- 1933
Koskenlaskija production begins
[1]Valio starts producing Koskenlaskija processed cheese in Helsinki.
Products and positioning
Finnish quality, cooperative ownership, dairy science, lactose-free innovation, responsible milk production, and increasingly diversified plant-based nutrition.
Dairy · 1905
Valio dairy products
Valio’s core portfolio includes fresh milk, cream, yogurt, butter, desserts, and other chilled dairy products. These products are primarily sold in Finland and selected international markets, with Finnish production based on milk sourced from farms connected to the company’s cooperative owners.
Specialty dairy · 2001
Valio lactose-free products
The lactose-free range is one of Valio’s best-known innovations. It includes milk drinks and other dairy products made using technologies designed to remove or reduce lactose while retaining a taste closer to conventional dairy. Valio markets these products in Finland and selected export markets.
Processed cheese · 1933
Koskenlaskija
Koskenlaskija is a Finnish processed-cheese brand produced by Valio since 1933. It is associated with spreadable and cooking-oriented cheese products and represents one of the company’s long-established domestic brands.
Food ingredients
Valio dairy ingredients
Valio supplies industrial customers with butter, milk powders, whey powders, and related dairy ingredients. These materials serve food, confectionery, ice-cream, infant-formula, and other manufacturing applications in Finland and international markets.
Plant-based foods · 2018
Oddlygood
Oddlygood is Valio’s international plant-based brand. It began with oat-based products and expanded into oat drinks, alternatives to yogurt and cheese, desserts, and other non-dairy foods. The brand is part of Valio’s effort to participate in changing consumer demand for plant-based nutrition.
Plant-based foods
Gold&Green
Gold&Green became part of Valio through a 2022 acquisition. Its product-development focus includes plant-based foods made from ingredients such as oats, peas, and fava beans, extending Valio’s portfolio beyond conventional dairy.
Plant protein
Härkis and Beanit
Härkis and Beanit are fava-bean-oriented plant-protein brands acquired by Valio from Raisio in 2025. The transaction also included the Kauhava manufacturing equipment and related personnel, strengthening Valio’s domestic plant-protein production capability.
Marketing campaigns
- 2024Food 2.0
Finland
Food 2.0 is a collaborative food-system development initiative led by Valio. It brings together research, business, and other partners to develop future food solutions and support the competitiveness of Finnish food exports.
Outcome. The ecosystem was described as having grown to more than 200 members by 2026.
Brand decisions
2025
Acquire Raisio’s plant-protein businessM&ABackground
Valio continued to expand its plant-based and domestic food-production capabilities.
Action taken
Valio acquired Raisio’s plant-protein business, including the Härkis and Beanit brands, Kauhava production equipment, and related personnel.
Aftermath
The acquisition strengthened Valio’s position in Finnish plant-protein manufacturing and broadened its brand portfolio.
2022
Withdraw from RussiaStrategyBackground
The European Union imposed sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Action taken
Valio closed all of its business operations in Russia.
Aftermath
Valio ended its Russian business presence while continuing to develop other international markets.
2022
Acquire Gold&GreenM&ABackground
Valio was expanding its food portfolio into plant-based categories.
Action taken
Valio acquired the Gold&Green brand and associated product-development activities.
Aftermath
The transaction added products based on oats, peas, and fava beans to Valio’s broader food strategy.
2022
Create a manure-to-biogas joint ventureStrategyBackground
Valio’s climate program included circular-economy solutions for dairy farming.
Action taken
Valio and St1 established Suomen Lantakaasu to produce biogas from manure generated by dairy farms.
Aftermath
The venture became part of Valio’s efforts to connect dairy production with renewable-energy and resource-recovery initiatives.
2018
Enter plant-based foods with OddlygoodProduct launchBackground
Valio sought to participate in the expanding market for non-dairy and plant-based foods.
Action taken
It introduced Oddlygood with oat-based products and subsequently broadened the brand’s range.
Aftermath
Oddlygood developed into an international plant-based brand covering drinks, cheese alternatives, yogurt alternatives, and desserts.
2004
Sell the ice-cream businessM&ABackground
Valio decided to divest its ice-cream activity as part of a portfolio change.
Action taken
The ice-cream business was sold to Nestlé, with limited rights to use the Valiojäätelö name.
Aftermath
The operation later became associated with the Froneri Finland joint venture after the name-use period ended.
2001
Commercialize lactose-free milk technologyProduct launchBackground
Demand for dairy products suitable for people who avoid or have difficulty digesting lactose created an opportunity for a milk product with a conventional fresh-milk taste.
Action taken
Valio launched a lactose-free milk drink and patented a chromatographic process for separating lactose.
Aftermath
Lactose-free products became a major part of Valio’s innovation profile and international dairy offering.
Recent events
Valio launches Carbo Farm calculator[3]
Reported:
Valio launched a calculator for its farms to measure their carbon emissions and identify actions to lower them.
Valio launches digital trading for ingredients[4]
Reported:
Valio made its ingredients available for digital purchase through the Nui online marketplace, with the first customers able to purchase starting October 1, 2019.
Sources4 sources
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