Meat production companies in Finland are searching for new products to sell as the appetite for animal proteins is dwindling among consumers.
Most major restaurants in the country already offer plant-based options and meat processing companies have also invested in processing vegetable based foods.
Food firm Pouttu, based in western Finland, makes sausages, prepared foods like lasagna and other meat-based products. However, it also offers around 40 different vegetarian-based items, according to the company's head of operations, Pirkko Rahkonen.
Prepared food and meat products firm Atria does not manufacture vegetable-protein products under its own brand, but its subsidiary Domretor does it on contract, according to Atria's communications chief, Hanne Kortesoja.
"We're well equipped to expand the manufacturing of plant protein products, if there is enough demand," she said.
Meat substitutes and plant-based proteins are currently among the fastest-growing categories in the food industry.
However, plant-based products are still often made so that they resemble their meat counterparts.
Food products company Foodwest CEO Harri Latva-Mäenpää said that's based on people's habits.
"For meat-eating consumers, it's the easiest way to try plant-based products," he explained.
While broad beans are often used to produce meat substitutes in Finland, Latva-Mäenpää said other interesting plant-based products include hemp, potatoes and rapeseed.
3D printed steaks
There are a few restaurants in Helsinki that offer 3D printed cuts of "meat" that is actually made from vegetable proteins.
The Israeli company Redefine Meat, which uses a 3D printing process to make plant-based whole-cut meat, partnered with Finnish firm MeEat to expand into Finland.
MeEat's CEO, Mikko Karell, explained some of the ingredients involved.
"For example, peas or potatoes are used as protein sources and the 'blood' is made from cherry and beetroot juice," he explained.
The printed meat is not on store shelves yet, because it is still significantly more expensive than beef.
"The kilo price of printed meat currently ranges between 50 to 80 euros," Karell said.
More to come
The amount of plant-based products sold in Finland saw major growth over the past seven years. However, that growth levelled off and their popularity even saw a bit of a decline last year.
But going forward, plant-based protein foods will continue to take a certain market share from animal-based products, according to Anu Hopia, a food products development professor at the University of Turku.
She said last year's decrease in sales of plant-based proteins was only temporary and that there will be a demand for such products in the long-term.
The biggest obstacles to further growth of the plant-based protein market is the products' price and quality level.
She said the replacement products need to feature the same qualities as their meat counterparts, in terms of price and mouth feel.
Red meat continues to be the primary source of protein for people in Finland, according to a joint study from Helsinki and Tampere Universities.
However, consumption of red meat has been declining for several years.