A spice mixture that encourages a vegetarian diet costs considerably more in the store than ground meat seasoning, even though it is practically the same product. Meira says she made a mistake.
Meira’s two spice mixes containing the same ingredients have been sold to consumers at a considerable price difference, even though the products are almost the same. Picture from the Meira factory in Vallila, Helsinki. OUTI JÄRVINE/KL
On social media, a couple of photos of similar-looking spice mixes have been posted.
It has been surprising that a bag of spices intended for vegan cooking is almost twice as expensive as ground meat seasoning, even though both are made from the same ingredients.
A 35-gram package of Meira’s soymeal seasoning mix costs 1.39 euros, while the price of a bag of minced meat seasoning of the same size is only 0.79 euros.
There was already some rejoicing in the Some discussions that it is one and the same product, for which only a higher price is charged when it is sold as a seasoning intended for vegan food.
The company on the website a closer look at the products shows that the nutritional values of the products differ from each other. Both products are made from the same raw materials. Onion, paprika, garlic, basil, black pepper, allspice and white pepper are listed among the raw materials of the products.
Differences can be found in the nutritional content. The soymeal seasoning mix has 317 kilocalories of energy per 100 grams, and the ground meat seasoning has 310 kilocalories. However, the difference between the products is minor.
The company reports on the error
Meira’s director of strategy, responsibility and communication Heidi Päiväniemi tells Iltalehti that there has been a human error in the pricing of the product.
– Yes, unfortunately we have had a pricing error with this product, Cape Päiväniemi tells.
The company has initiated corrective measures and the price will be updated for customers, i.e. retailers of the spice mix. More specifically, Päiväniemi does not disclose the error, but the company nevertheless sees it as necessary to correct it.
– The background of this new product is the desire to encourage the seasoning of vegetarian dishes and to dare to try plant-based protein, Päiväniemi says.
A novelty product has slightly higher production costs, and packaging materials, for example, affect the price of the product. However, the observed price difference is not due to packaging costs alone or to the small number of manufactured products.
– The scale is not quite what it looks like on that store shelf.
Päiväniemi emphasizes that the prices charged to the consumer in the store are determined by the seller, not the manufacturer.
He states that prices are affected by many factors.
– Of course, packaging material costs are somewhat affected by how many products are sold. Powdered meat seasoning is one of Finland’s best-selling products. Only now have we introduced soy meal and tofu spice mixes to the selections, Päiväniemi says.
The product in question has only been available in Kesko stores for a short time. The company says it will deliver the revised prices to its customers in the next few days. However, the price visible to the consumer is marked by the retailer, and the company cannot directly influence it.
Almost all of Meira’s spices are produced in the factory located in Vallila, Helsinki. Kari Kortelainen