AS Smiltenes piens
Whey becomes the protein drink “Piena spēks”; wastewater residues become biogas.
AS “Smiltenes piens” is one of the largest dairy processors in Latvia, with a history of more than a hundred years. The brand is recognised both in Latvia and abroad.
Over more than 110 years the company has been through many changes, yet it has kept a business built on product quality and environmentally sound production.
One of its missions is to support local milk producers, so the raw material for its dairy products is bought only from local farmers. More than 60 Latvian dairy farms work with “Smiltenes piens”. Its products are sold throughout Latvia, and its main export partners are Estonia, Germany, Israel and the United States.
Symbiosis at the company
Food production always leaves residues that a company must either use or dispose of. Over many years the technologists at “Smiltenes piens” have developed ways of putting production by-products to work.
Production starts with the raw material, fresh milk. About 100 tonnes of it arrive every day. A laboratory at the milk intake continuously checks the quality indicators of the incoming raw material, including its organoleptic properties. Once the milk passes quality control, it is pumped through pipelines to the processing hall, where it is separated, pasteurised and directed to further processing.
A large share of what the company makes is used again further down its own production chain. Cream, for example, is the raw material for butter and curd desserts, while curd is the main raw material for curd desserts and fresh cheeses. Milk also goes into cheesemaking. AS “Smiltenes piens” is known for its cheeses “Klasiskais” (formerly “Krievijas”), “Holandes” and “Latvijas”. Since 2005 its products have carried the National Food Quality Scheme mark “Zaļā karotīte”, awarded to its cheeses, curds, sour and sweet creams and processed cheese. In total the company makes more than 250 product lines from milk.
Wastewater and biogas
One of the company's main problems was the flotation sludge produced during wastewater pre-treatment. “Smiltenes piens” solved it through symbiosis with a local farm: it signed an agreement to send that residue to the farm's bioreactor. Both sides gain, because fermenting the treatment residue produces biogas.
Whey and “Piena spēks”
The company takes particular pride in processing the whey left over from cheesemaking. Its technologists developed “PIENA SPĒKS”, a tasty, fortifying and vitamin-rich protein drink with very low fat content that supplies the body with the proteins and amino acids it needs. Athletes and coaches rate it as a unique product, good both between meals and after hard training.
The drink became very popular among athletes within a short time. In 2022 the company sold more than 43 tonnes of it.
Energy efficiency
To reduce its environmental impact, “Smiltenes piens” modernised its boilers, switching the fuel from wood chips to natural gas and cutting air emissions by 5 %. The switch also removed soot emissions entirely, which the wood chips had caused. The upgrade lowered emissions and raised the company's energy efficiency at the same time.
Social aspect
“Smiltenes piens” cooperates actively with Latvian education and research institutions. It regularly holds open lessons in Smiltene schools and at universities in Riga (RTU, LBTU), where pupils and students learn to apply their knowledge in practice alongside company staff.