The first line for production of Icelandic skyr in Russia was opened in Novgorod region

"This is the first line for production skyr in Russia, we plan to produce about 5 thousand tons of products per year. Investments in the project amounted to about €2 million. The product will be distributed throughout Russia, plus Kazakhstan and Belarus", said the interviewee of the Agency. According to Dautov, for the production of skyr, the company opened a new shop and purchased a production line with a capacity of 5 tons per hour, soon there will be a packing line. For the production of skyr there will be used Russian milk and Icelandic sourdough.

At the opening ceremony the Governor of Novgorod region Andrey Nikitin added that the new line will provide the region with new jobs and recognition in the country. The product is already on sale in Veliky Novgorod. In addition, as the Ambassador of Iceland to Russia Berglind Asgeirsdottir noted, the batch of skyr was sent to the Icelandic football team, which is now practising in Gelendzhik before the World Cup. "Members of the team are already eating skyr, which is made at this enterprise; they were sent a large parcel. They have finished the first batch and are waiting for the next one", said Berglind Asgeirsdottir.

Icelandic tradition and production technology

Skyr is a national Icelandic dairy product, which started to be produced more than a thousand years ago. According to the production manager of the Icelandic company MS Aidun Hermannsson, unlike yogurt skyr requires the other ferment for the production, which determines the result. "Skyr is a denser product. In order to produce a kilogram of yogurt, you need one liter of milk. And to make one kilogram of skyr, you need three liters of milk and more sophisticated equipment," he told reporters, noting that production similar to the one in Novgorod, is open only in Denmark, Norway, USA and Iceland.

Experts added that by its properties skyr is rich in protein, but contains few calories and contains up to 1.5% of fat. "The consistency of skyr is dense, but it is not granulated, it’s smooth, like sour cream and has a creamy taste. In Veliky Novgorod, we began to produce skyr with vanilla, baked apple, strawberry, blueberries, raspberries, and white natural product," - told technologist of the company "Lactis" Yulia Semenova to TASS.

The Ambassador of Iceland noted in an interview with TASS that the opening of the production in Veliky Novgorod will have a positive impact on the relations between Russia and the island state under sanctions. "Iceland joined the sanctions that were imposed against Russia in the beginning. But when Russia introduced retaliatory measures, it affected Iceland very much, because we exported seafood to Russia. Now we have changed the approach, the new production is a new form of cooperation, which in particular, will help to stabilize relations," she said.

About the company

JSC "Laktis" is a part of the group of companies" Laktika", specializing in the production, processing and sale of dairy products. The range of products of the company includes more than 130 names of dairy and fermented dairy products. The volume of production of the plant in Veliky Novgorod is 150 tons per day. In 2018 the Icelandic company "IcePro" ltd. and the dairy plant JSC "Laktis" in Novgorod signed an agreement on the production of Icelandic skyr under the brand name ISEY SKYR.

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