Mlekpol’s Dairy Delights

Mlekpol has several strong brands in its portfolio, such as Łaciate, Milko, Mazurski Smak, Maślanka Mrągowska, Rolmlecz and JOGO. They are among the most valuable and recognisable brands in Poland. Mlekpol’s products win numerous awards in industry and consumer competitions every year. In 2023 alone, they received nearly 30 awards. This best shows how recognised and popular they are on our market. Among the most important national certificates granted to Mlekpol`s products, there is the Quality Tradition mark for Gouda, Królewski z Kolna or Salami cheeses as well as Rolmlecz brand products: vanilla fromage frais, extra butter, full-fat and semi-fat curd cheese. A well-known certificate awarded by the Polish Ministry of Agriculture is the Poznaj Dobrą Żywność (Know Good Food) mark, which has been awarded to Łaciate extra butter.

Today’s shopping trends in the dairy category are driven, among other things, by growing consumer awareness of eating healthy. Consumers are increasingly paying attention to the origin of products, their composition and nutritional values, resulting in the popularity of products with short label, i.e. without unnecessary additives or preservatives. Environmental and sustainability issues also have an impact on the dairy market. Hence, there is a growing interest in local products and products from environmentally friendly sources. Equally important trends are premiumisation and innovation, i.e. the tendency to choose products characterised by high quality, original taste or unique properties. In the area of packaging and formats of dairy products, however, the convenience trend is evident. On-the-go products in convenient packaging and the optimisation of formats continue to be popular.

Mlekpol’s offer is systematically expanding with new products and interesting flavour variants of already available products, which are the answer to the preferences and lifestyle of modern consumers. We have recently introduced a completely new category of dairy desserts to the Polish market – desserts with buttermilk. This is comfort food, eagerly chosen by people looking for products that combine the characteristics of a delicacy and a healthy snack. In the first quarter of 2024, we also intend to launch a line of high-protein products, the popularity of which continues to grow. In addition, we focus on a wide range of packaging weights that meet the needs of both single-person households and families with children who prefer larger and more economical solutions. Moreover, we emphasize ecological packaging materials – for example, we have launched a Łaciate brand milk carton, which consists of 89% renewable raw materials. The aforementioned desserts with buttermilk have mono-material packaging, and Łaciate milk and creams have packaging with attached caps to facilitate recycling.

Mlekpol, present on the market for more than four decades, has always been guided by the idea of protecting the environment and natural resources. Our activity is closely connected with ecological aspects, which prompted the company to develop a sustainable development strategy. The first pillar of this strategy concerns the elimination of the use of black coal. Currently, all our plants use efficient steam boilers that use low-emission fuels (natural gas or LNG). Mlekpol also independently produces part of the electricity used in the plants, which provides the Cooperative with greater energy security and autonomy. Between 2020 and 2022, we launched two CHP plants in Mrągowo and Zambrów, which are among the most modern in Europe. The plan for the next five years is that 50% of the electricity consumed by the Cooperative will come from our own sources, which is why we are also preparing to build further CHP plants in Kolno, Suwałki and Radom. Rational energy management is another aspect of our sustainable development strategy. Hence, we are implementing technologies that allow us to save and recover it from production processes. The Cooperative is also introducing more ecological packaging. Moreover, sustainable development is about building relationships with local communities around the processing plants. It involves supporting charitable, sports or cultural initiatives and cooperation with local companies in the goods and services they provide.

Mlekpol was the first producer of dairy products in Poland, who launched products with caps attached to the packaging. We started the process of introducing attached caps with the popular milk and cream brand Łaciate. Our aim was to get consumers used to this solution, which will become an everyday occurrence for them in July 2024, when EU regulations come into force. We believe that every change takes time and also requires proper education. In this case, the campaign was to justify why integrating caps into cardboard packaging contributes to the protection of our planet. Therefore, in October we launched our activities under the slogan ‘Don’t rip the caps off Łaciate’. In a light and humorous way, the campaign provided important information about sorting and recycling the new type of packaging. We wanted to make consumers aware that a tethered cap is the best way to prevent plastic waste in the form of caps from ending up in landfills, seas or oceans.

Food safety is a priority for Mlekpol. Commitment to this aspect is the key to building consumer confidence around the world. That is why the Cooperative’s quality control covers all stages of production: from the raw material to the finished product. Mlekpol produces its products only from milk coming from its own suppliers-members of the Cooperative. As a result, it sets and enforces strict standards for raw material quality, which are often more stringent than the requirements set out in EU legislation. In addition, our production processes comply with international standards such as ISO and HACCP. We use state-of-the-art technology to manufacture and package our products, which guarantees freshness and excellent taste. The control also covers the entire supply chain, where we take special care to ensure efficient service, maintenance of the cold chain and timeliness. We also adapt our production to the specific requirements and standards of different countries, e.g. for religious reasons.

Currently, around 30% of Mlekpol’s production is exported to over 100 countries around the world. Fourteen highly specialised plants allow us to offer foreign consumers a wide range of products tailored to their specific needs and preferences. Currently, our main markets in the European Union include: Germany, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Latvia, Bulgaria, Italy and Greece. At the same time, we are intensively expanding our presence on distant markets, including the Middle and Far East, supplying countries such as China, Vietnam, Japan, South Korea, Israel, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Africa and Latin American countries such as Mexico, Chile and the Dominican Republic are also our significant export destinations. In addition, we are seeing an increase in exports to the Balkan countries, like Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In 2024, Mlekpol will continue to modernise and automate its production plants in order to reduce costs and increase operational efficiency, which is crucial in the context of growing competition on the market. These measures will also allow for better resource management. In 2024, we will, of course, continue and finalise the investments that were started in previous years. These include the expansion of infrastructure and the introduction of new technologies. We are also focused on finding new markets and increasing our presence on the markets we have already reached. We will strive to build long-term business relationships that ensure the profitability and stability of our export activities. To this end, we will also, among other things, modify our portfolio to meet the changing preferences of consumers around the world.