According to 58% of Finns, rye bread is the best bread.
It is therefore a shame that it is not suited to everyone’s stomach, making many people bloated.
When Jussi Loponen, Doctor of Food Sciences, began working at Fazer in 2011, this was the problem he was tasked with solving. Why does rye upset the stomach, and how could the issue be solved?
As Fazer’s Vice-President for R&D, Loponen oversees Fazer Lab, the group’s research and innovation unit. He helps a food business that generates €1.2 billion in turnover to conduct increasingly profitable and responsible business through research.
As a young man, Loponen studied engineering for a few years, but his enthusiasm for electricity petered out. During a gap year, he and a friend walking in central Helsinki happened to pass the Porthania building.
“We came up with the idea of applying to study there.”
Loponen began to study food sciences, but a genuine spark ignited only when he was writing his master’s thesis and exploring the secrets of sourdough fermentation. After graduation, Loponen continued at the University as a doctoral researcher.
In 2011, Fazer sought employees for its recently established research unit, which invested in long-term scientific study.
“I had a doctorate in food sciences. There are not many jobs in Finland that match my education that well.”
Loponen applied for and got the job.
When Loponen started, Fazer’s research team comprised four researchers. Now there are 10. In other words, research seems to be effective.
“It’s a good support for business too, as it tells us, based on evidence, what works and what doesn’t,” Loponen says.
Even the rye bread problem was solved with the help of research. The principal cause of the stomach troubles was fructan, a dietary fibre component, assisted by the sugar alcohol mannitol. Thanks to his doctoral degree, Loponen thought to take advantage of universities: he commissioned and supervised master’s theses to support the research efforts.
“They are a common tool in our research. Associated studies completed during my time at the company have included some 50 master’s theses and a few doctoral theses.”
The research resulted in a new, more stomach-friendly rye bread that was introduced to the market years ago. Long-term development has continued, and this year will see the introduction of a completely new version of this bread type.
“Fazer Lab is not expected to produce new products, but it’s nice for students too to have the laboratory tests carried out for their master’s theses turn into practical solutions in industrial bakeries and, ultimately, new products.”
Fazer has ambitious responsibility goals. They must be based on hard science to be able to know what actually promotes, for example, biodiversity.
Fazer Lab also investigates waste and its use in product applications. For example, the price of cocoa has recently been high, making it necessary to minimise waste in chocolate products. This benefits the environment and business operations too.
Responsibility also involves investing in human health and wellbeing with the help of Fazer’s products. Research is applied here too, as two Fazer Lab employees have doctorates in nutrition science.
At Fazer, salt constitutes a major health issue, since bread is among the top sources of salt in Finland.
“Finding a healthy substitute for salt that consumers like would be the Holy Grail of food science. We are yet to identify the perfect solution.”
Loponen holds a title of docent at the University of Helsinki, which shows in a range of collaborations. He gives occasional lectures, coordinates strategic cooperation with the University of Helsinki at Fazer and contributes to doctoral thesis committees.
This way, his link to the University remains active. That is important in the position of a R&D director.
“Academic research and business must conduct dialogue to enable relevant research on both sides.”