Norwegian food amongst the best in the world

The quality of Norwegian raw ingredients is world class. Few countries can point to animal and plant life as healthy as Norway’s. Now we shall be putting this advantage to good use in the German market.

• Grüne Woche 2005

In Norway, food safety has been the top priority for a number of years. We have built up tremendous resources to ensure the healthiest possible animal and plant stock. The result is food quality we can be proud of and that we can turn to competitive advantage in both exports and tourism, says Minister of Agriculture and Food Lars Sponheim.

The minister believes it is very positive that so many Norwegian exhibitors are going after the international market and also that the big players like TINE and GILDE are taking part. GILDE is appointing an export manager responsible for kiosks, petrol stations and local food stores in Europe – the main sales point will be the health of Norway’s plants and animals. TINE will be launching a new product on the European market as well as promoting a range of goods at the Berlin exhibition – everything from jellies and honey to farmhouse cheeses, elk and reindeer.

Europe’s biggest
”There are hungry consumers, there are wholesalers and tour operators, there is an interchange of beneficial experience and ideas for our Norwegian producers. It is important for Norwegian food entrepreneurs to capture the latest trends and to be in the right place to talk business,” says Sponheim.

Grüne Woche in Berlin is Europe’s biggest food and agriculture fair, where something like 600,000 people will visit 1,600 exhibitors from about 60 countries. There are 18 participants from Norway and even more had to be turned away because of the huge interest. The organisers estimate that between 3,000 and 4,000 journalists will cover the consumer show, which runs from 21 ^st> to 30 ^th> January.

Unique Norwegian food tradition
”The nature and culture of the Arctic provide the framework for many exciting Norwegian products and the culture and climate of Norway have shaped a very special history and flavour. The harvesting of game, fish and berries from ocean, lakes, forests and mountains was seasonal, so that the produce needed special treatment to enable it to keep. Preserving food by salting, drying, smoking, fermenting, burying and curing is therefore characteristic of the Norwegian food tradition, giving us identity and making us unique and marketable,” says Lars Sponheim.

Healthy animals
Norway can boast a very healthy animal stock, providing the basis for its high quality raw ingredients and food products. We have the natural conditions for sound animal husbandry, with a low animal density, small units, a well-organised industry and skilful farmers. Furthermore, the animal farming organisations and the official specialist body have spent decades collecting and handling data on breeding, production and health. This makes it possible for us to reliably document our status. Antibiotics in animal feed have been forbidden since 1995. In the last ten years, sales of antibiotics for use on animals have gone down by 39 per cent. This has gone hand in hand with systematic preventive measures for the most important diseases involved in animal rearing. Norwegian veterinary authorities are satisfied that we have very few cases of disease transmission from animals to humans and practically no cases of serious diseases in farm animals. Mad cow disease has never been detected in Norway and the incidence of salmonella is extremely low. International attention has also been awakened by the fact that Norway has recently become the only country to succeed in eradicating the cattle disease bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD). The disease has been a significant cause of loss for farmers and it is gratifying to note that the long-standing cooperation between the industry and the authorities has produced such a result.

Norway can also emphasise its healthy plant life, partly due to our favourable climatic and geographical location. Healthy crops mean less use of pesticides, leading in turn to safer food and less environmental pollution. Our healthy growing conditions mean better quality in potatoes, grain, fruit, berries and vegetables, because there is less damage to the crop.

Happy cows
”The Government has laid great store in the intrinsic value of our animals and that Norway shall be among the world leaders in animal welfare. Small farms, usually family run, with contact between animals and people lead to nearness to and care for the animals. The widespread use of rough grazing and mountain pastures, especially for sheep, is good for animal welfare and improves both quality and flavour. It is a strong tradition in Norway and among Norwegian farmers to take good care of their animals,” says Minister of Agriculture and Food Lars Sponheim.

21. januar 2005