AIV conquered the world 

The professor of our exhibition is Artturi Ilmari Virtanen (1895–1973) who is known especially as the inventor of AIV fodder. Together with biochemist Henning Karström, Virtanen developed animal fodder with extended storage life at Valio’s research laboratory in the 1920s. AIV fodder helps to keep the vitamin content of milk high throughout the year. Virtanen received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing the fodder in 1945.

Artturi I. Virtanen was the first professor of biochemistry at the University of Helsinki. Biochemists study the chemical structures of organisms and the challenges associated with human health. At Virtanen’s initiative, the University launched nutritional chemistry as a discipline and its professorship was taken up by Paavo Roine, a student of Virtanen. Another of his students, Fritz P. Niinivaara was a professor of meat technology.

Virtanen was a recognised scholarly voice in his time. He was involved in many responsibilities associated with improving the nutrition of Finns. Virtanen was also the first president of the Academy of Finland (currently known as the Research Council of Finland).