In the Parma area, the popular can tomatoes in Finland are also growing in the Parma area.
The Italian tomato island has the same problems as a Finnish farmer. Rain, rain and rain that just ruins everything at the dawn of harvest.
Iltalehti met a few weeks ago Francesco muttin.
After his father, he took the lead in the family company in the 1990s and made a small tomato factory to be a popular player in the small tomato factory and Italy’s largest tomato-prefabricated manufacturer.
Mutti leades his company in clay in clay, as he regularly goes to the field to see how the harvest is progressing. After all, it is up to the harvest of how many canned and glass cans from the factory will go to stores.
The tomato factory must not be photographed except from the outside. Eve Paljakka
Normally at the beginning of September, 8,000 kilos of tomatoes per day are processed. In 2024, when the harvesting was unprecedentedly difficult, the tomato was only processed 3,000 kilos a day. At that time, the cause of the difficulties was in constant rainfall.
This year, however, the harvesting became very good, with 10,000 tomato pounds a day in production, even though the beginning of September seemed difficult with a lot of rain.
Mutti said in an interview with Iltalehti that the better the quality of the tomato is to pay tomato growers the better. If the tomato load does not pass the mutt quality tests, the farmer will take it to the tomato factory of another company.
In bad years of crop, the aim is to reduce the loss of farmers by increasing their compensation.
The tomatoes bounce on the laundry line. Mutti,.
– Because otherwise they would not continue production of tomatoes. We really need tomatoes, Mutti says emphatically.
According to him, consumers can demand quality.
There are also obscure products in the tomato market that are intended to cheat consumers. As a rule, the origin of the products is China.
Francesco Mutti admits that Chinese tomato is a problem.
– First of all, because of the lack of transparency. The consumer does not know where the tomatoes have grown, how they have been handled and processed. For us, it’s a really essential thing. We grow and cultivate according to certain sustainability rules.
Tomato washbasins are outdoors. Mud
Mutti recalls that in Italy, large items of tomato puree have been seized, which are alleged to be Italian, but the puree was revealed to be Chinese. Mutti hopes to address this problem in Europe with legislation. At least it is good for the consumer to be aware that food counterfeits are possible in many products, not just in olive oils or honey.
Francesco Mutti says directly that he does not want a single Chinese food in his own kitchen. He does not forget the uproar in 2008 from poisoned Chinese infant formulas.
– Completely incredible. We should remove actors in our field that do not follow the rules so that no one is doing dirty tricks.
Francesco Mutti presents tomatoes that are about to be done. Eve Paljakka
However, Mutti believes that 90 % of food companies do not use Chinese products.
But even in Europe, there are differences in tomatoes, not to mention the differences between the United States or China. One example is fertilization. There are country differences in what substances can be placed on the tomato field.
Mutti ironically states that there is strict control in China, but it is directed at the country’s citizens, not food.
Mutt says the most important feature of a good tomato is the taste.
– High quality definitely means primarily taste.
Mutt’s tomato products are Polpa, Passata, Play, Pyere, Pesto and Pasta Sauce. Of these, the best -selling product in Italy is Passata.
The tomatoes used in food are thick and have less water. Eve Paljakka
But still, different Italian areas have their own favorites.
– For example, a triple concentrate tomato puree sells very well in northeastern. In the south, the number one product is passata. If you go to Campania, whole peeled tomatoes are favorites. In the middle and north, there is Polpa.
Mutti can’t say his favorite. He laughs that he loves all of them. The answer depends on what he will cook at any time.
As in wines, in tomatoes, different vintage tastes different: it is good years and more difficult years.
A private machine has been developed for tomatoes. Carlo Guttadauro
Mutti reveals that the tomato crumbs tasted in different years do not taste exactly the same. However, the difference is so small that it is difficult to detect. Few even open the tomato crumbs that have been cans and taste them at the same time.
Mutti reminds us that often when cooking, the tomato crush is heated, which also affects the taste.
Time also affects the taste. Francesco Mutti states that after three years, the tomato taste begins to decline. Although the year 2021 was excellent and 2023 was not so good, these two two -year tomatoes are currently the same taste. Year 2023 even better. So time is not a tomato friend in the same way as wine.
Mutti, the leader of the family business, says that in order to develop, history must be understood. He has a strict gaze in the future. Mutt’s employees described him as a visionary.
This year, Mutt’s ready -made pasta sauces have appeared in the shops. Ease and speed is a trend outside of Finland – even in Italy. In fact, a lot of ready -made pasta sauces are used in Italy. There are them in the shops at a meter.
Although Mutti shapes the company’s product range, there is one thing that he says will not happen.
– There will never be meat in our products. The main part is tomato, he says.
The answer is not surprising, as Mutti has long been a vegetarian.
From the field, the tomatoes leave directly to the factory. Mud
In Finland, pasta sauces were launched early in the year. Mutt has the highest in the world – even higher in Italy – “Top of Mind”.
According to a survey, 54 % of Finns first think of mutt when they think of tomato. Mutt’s market share in Finland is over 30 %, which is top -notch in the world. Brand awareness in Finland is even stronger than in Italy.
Thanks to one of the chefs. Henri Alén In 2014, it praised on Twitter at the time how good the product mutat’s tomato crush is. After that, the tomato crushed shelves of the shops were emptied. Alén made his post purely because the product is so good for him.
Alén and Mutti then cooperated for many years. However, no agreement has been concluded this year.
The same “chef praises the product” concept was attempted in Sweden, but it did not take off as in Finland. Alén’s authenticity could not be copied.