Finland is the promised land for birches and Nordic Koivu Oy the sovereign producer of birch sap. There is plenty of demand: 99 per cent of the production is exported. A cosmetic series based on Nordic Koivu's birch sap has been developed in Japan.

Nordic Koivu produces birch sap for consumers and does research and development into utilizing birch sap as a raw material for the food, beverage and cosmetics industries. Production is based on years of research and development.

"We're in a pioneering position in developing systems for collecting birch sap and producing it. The concept is the first of its kind in the entire world and the outcome of persistent practical work," says executive vice president Susanna Maaranen.

Overcoming obstacles

Researching and clearing the obstacles to the production of birch sap started in 1995. The biggest obstacles turned out to be preserving and collecting the sap.

"Birch sap goes bad more quickly than milk, which was an obstacle for wide-scale industrial production. Another problem was gathering the sap manually."

The first production line was installed in 1999 and in the following year the first product batch went out on sale. Thanks to high-tech the pure raw material is recovered efficiently directly from the tree without additives or preservatives or heat treatment.

Healthy drink

Nature's own wellbeing drink is sold to consumers in half-litre bottles. At the moment large packages for big industrial companies are also being developed.

Birch sap has positive effects on the body, weight-control, wellbeing, digestion and wellbeing of the stomach. It contains fructose, glucose, fruit acid, amino acid, vitamin C, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, zinc, sodium and iron.

"The taste is fresh, light and springlike," Maaranen says.

Turned into cosmetics

In Japan birch sap has also interested the cosmetics industry. Morecosmetics Corporation has developed a cosmetic series that uses birch sap in liquid form and is called Koivikko. The name and appearance were designed by the Japanese designer Naoto Niidome.

There is a market for birch sap in Central Europe as well as in Japan. There is also interest in Korea and the USA. "I believe that birch sap will be the product of the future. Prospects are good and many things are now taking wing," says Maaranen.

>> www.nordickoivu.com

In 2002 Nordic Koivu received the President of the Republic's InnoFinland award for an innovation that made it possible to produce birch sap on a wide scale and preserve it for a long time.