The first functional food said to offer a blood pressure lowering effect to be launched for the European market is being packed in a Stora Enso Ensobarr aluminium-free barrier coated board. Nordic dairy giant Valio has chosen Stora Enso's board for its new milk drink, Evolus.

Currently the food and drinks industry is investing heavily in research into functional foods. Europe's ageing population coupled with the baby-boom generation's strong purchasing power has created a large potential market for functional products. Valio, one of Europe's leading dairy industry companies, is one of the first companies to exploit this market.

The company's new product, Evolus, which has been test marketed since early winter, is a functional milk-based drink made by fermenting milk using natural lactic acid bacteria. Lactobacillus bacteria degrade the milk protein into bioactive peptides that have been shown to lower blood pressure.

"The effect of Evolus has been demonstrated in double-blind studies and clinical research. It is an excellent adjunct to the non-medicinal treatment of slightly heightened blood pressure and is also suitable for use in conjunction with drug treatment for hypertension," says Valio's Marketing Manager Leena Metsäniitty. "The peptides start to work in lowering blood pressure after about 5 to 8 weeks of daily consumption of the product."

Evolus is a premium product in the Valio range and, therefore, the company also wanted the carton to have excellent organoleptic properties. The product is packed in Stora Enso Packaging Boards' Natura board with Ensobarr coating to offer a microbiologically hygienic packaging solution.

Ensobarr coating provides board with better barrier properties than traditional plastic protective layers, providing the same result as aluminium foil says the company. Ensobarr barrier coated cartons are easier to recycle than aluminium laminates, a factor which meets the requirement of Valio's environmental programme.

"Functional foods require packaging to have superior barrier properties and a high standard of hygiene. Thanks to its good barrier properties, the Ensobarr coating is also used in packaging for aseptic products," says Mill Manager Marja Jukkara of Stora Enso Packaging Boards.

Valio already employs the barrier coated board in a number of different products, including water, fruit juices and health drinks. Valio is planning to export the new milk drink under license.


For further information, please contact:

Stora Enso Oyj
Ms Marja Jukkara, Mill Manager
Special Food Packaging Boards
FIN-55800 Imatra
FINLAND
Tel: +358 2046 121
Fax: +358 2046 26774
E-mail: marja.jukkara@storaenso.com

Stora Enso UK Ltd.
Mr Roy Bray
12th floor, Newland House
49 Mount Street
GB-Nottingham, NG1 6HE
UNITED KINGDOM
Tel: +44 115 964 7100
Fax: +44 115 964 7170
E-mail: roy.bray@storaenso.com

Stora Enso Interamericas, Inc.
Mr Mikko Jaatinen
8750 Doral Boulevard
Suite 270
Miami, FL 33178
U.S.A
Tel: +1 305 716 9799
Fax: +1 305 716 5441
E-mail: mikko.jaatinen@storaenso.com

Stora Enso North America Corp.
Mr Michael Walsh
Two Landmark Square
3rd Floor
Stamford, CT 06901-2792
U.S.A
Tel: +1 203 356 2300
Fax: +1 203 356 2340
E-mail: Michael.Walsh@storaenso.com

Stora Enso Australia Pty. Ltd.
Mr Juhani Ellenberg
Level 17, NCR House
8-20 Napier Street
AUS-North Sydney 2060
AUSTRALIA
Tel: +61 2 9955 4855
Fax: +61 2 9955 7933
E-mail: juhani.ellenberg@storaenso.com.au

Stora Enso España
Mr Mikael Wirén
Paseo de la Castellana 135
Planta 15-Edificio Cuzco III
E-28046 Madrid
SPAIN
Tel: +34 91 567 4400
Fax: +34 91 567 4444
E-mail: mikael.wiren@storaenso.com

Stora Enso France S.A.
Mr Alain Piattier / Maila Grastilleur
15/25 boulevard de l'Amiral Bruix
F-75782 Paris Cedex 16
FRANCE
Tel: +33 1 5364 79 00
Fax: +33 1 5364 79 90
E-mail: alain.piattier@storaenso.com /
maila.grastilleur@storaenso.com

Stora Enso Hellas
Mr Angelo Evgenikos
33, Vas. Sofias Ave.
GR-10675 Athens
GREECE
Tel: +30 1 723 9990
Fax: +30 1 723 5110
E-mail: angelo.evgenikos@storaenso.com

Stora Enso Italia srl
Mr Renato Somekh
Via A. Volta, 16
I-20093 Cologno Monzese
ITALY
Tel: +39 02 251 514 74
Fax: +39 02 251 514 59
E-mail: renato.somekh@storaenso.com

Stora Enso Nederland B.V.
Mr J.W.F.Klarenbeek
P.O. Box 12386
NL-1101 AJ Amsterdam
THE NETHERLANDS
Tel: +31 20 650 5555
Fax: +31 20 650 5622
E-mail: jan-willem.klarenbeek@storaenso.com

Stora Enso Scandinavia AB
Packaging Boards
Mr Joakim Stockhaus
P.O. Box 70395
SE-10724 Stockholm
SWEDEN
Tel: +46 8 613 6600
Fax: +46 8 613 6770
E-mail: joakim.stockhaus@storaenso.com

Stora Enso Argentina
Mr Eduardo Galindo
Lavalle 556 4°H
AR-1047 Buenos Aires
ARGENTINA
Tel: +54 11 4 325 0195/0361
Fax: +54 11 4 394 8344
E-mail: eduardo.galindo@storaenso.com

Stora Enso Brasil Ltda
Mr Timo Petteri Vuorio
Alameda Vicente Pinzon,
Nr 144, 9th floor, Suite 93
Vila Olimpia-São Paulo/SP
BR-04547-130
BRAZIL
Tel: +55 11 3846 1611
Fax: +55 11 3846 9757

Stora Enso Chile S.A.
Mr Michael Eriksson
Apoquindo 5555 Of. 909
Las Condes
Santiago De Chile
CHILE
Tel: +56 2 342 1053
Fax: +56 2 342 1080
E-mail: michael.eriksson@storaenso.com

Stora Enso Southern Africa
Mr Vesa Pärssinen
P.O. Box 12900
N1 City
7463 Cape Town
SOUTH AFRICA
Tel: +27 21 595 0942
Fax: +27 21 595 1688
E-mail: vesa.parssinen@storaenso.com

Stora Enso (Middle East)
Mr Martti Harju
R/A 8 - HB1
Jebel ali Free Zone, Dubai
Mail: P.O.B. 61265
Dubai
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Tel: +971 4 8836 819
Fax: +971 4 8836 826
E-mail: martti.harju@storaenso.com

Stora Enso (HK) Ltd.
Rm 3605-6 World Trade Centre
Mr Donny Chan
280 Gloucester Road
HONG HONG S.A.R.
Tel : +852 2312 1223
Fax : +852 2576 1480
E-mail: donny.chan@storaenso.com

Stora Enso Singapore Pte Ltd.
Mr Tom Alfthan
360 Orchard Road #11-01 International Building
SG-Singapore 238869
SINGAPORE
Tel: +65 235 3485
Fax: +65 737 4278
E-mail: tom.alfthan@storaenso.com

Stora Enso Singapore Pte. Ltd. Representative Office
Mr John Winter
Block 154-2-11
Kompleks Maluri
Jalan Jejaka, Taman Maluri
55100 Kuala Lumpur
WEST MALAYSIA
Tel: +60 3 9818122
Fax: +60 3 9873122
E-mail: john.winther@storaenso.com

Valio Oy
Ms Leena Metsäniitty, Marketing Manager
P.O. Box 10
FIN-00039 Valio
FINLAND
Tel: +358 10381 3342
Fax: +358 10381 2539
Mobile: +358 50 384 0195
E-mail: leena.metsaniitty@valio.fi

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