VR tells that it will stop selling ice cream made by Froneri Finland in the train restaurant cars and in the cafe located at Tikkurila station.
There have been three different Pingviini ice creams in the selection, which will go out of sale “as quickly as possible” later this year.
The decision was made after revealed in an extensive investigation the Russian connections of several Finnish ice creams through their multinational parent companies.
Nestlé, the food giant that owns Froner, was forced into Ukraine last week to the war sponsor list.
– With regard to Froner’s ice creams, the matter has just come to light, and we are currently taking steps to replace the product, VR’s communication says.
Fazer and the food chains criticize but continue
Ukraine’s anti-corruption agency named Nestlé a sponsor of Russia’s war of aggression because it continues to operate in Russia despite the war. It has several operating factories in the country, and according to media reports Russian store shelves are full of Nestlé products.
At the same time, a company that manufactures products of Finnish brands in Finland both by itself and through a company it owns has been blacklisted in Ukraine for the first time.
In addition to its own brands, Froner’s Finnish unit produces ice creams for Fazer and Finland’s largest retail chains. Froneri Finland produces some of the Pirkka ice creams of the K chain, Kotimaista ice creams of the S chain and Lidl’s own brand ice creams.
The Froneri Group also has an operating ice cream factory in Russia.
Finnish companies tell that they are critical of Froner’s and Nestlé’s continued operations in Russia. Nestlé’s war sponsor stamp is still not, at least for now, a reason for them to stop using Froner as a manufacturer of their ice cream brands.
Kesko and the S group say that they discussed with Froner’s European management after the publication of ‘s report. Lidl also says that it will continue the conversation with Froner, and Fazer demands that the group “bear responsibility”.
Fazer has already considered changing the ice cream manufacturer, but says that finding a new producer is difficult.
In a report published by on Sunday, a professor specializing in Russian trade suggested that Finnish companies should at least donate the profits from the ice creams produced by Froner as charity to the children of Ukraine.
– That way you wouldn’t end up with blood money in your own hands, Kari Liuhto Turku University of Economics explained.
None of the companies has said that they have made such a solution.
Politicians call for a boycott
After the publication of ‘s report, politicians have taken a stand on the matter on social media.
– Now the consumers are calling for a boycott For products of companies trading with Russia! We should not do business with an aggressor country that is at war and ignore the emergency in Ukraine, writes a member of parliament Mia Laiho (col.) in X.
Congressman Oras Tynkkynen (green) writes in X that he considers the explanations of Froneri Finland’s partners “shameful”, and encourages consumers to send feedback to the companies.
– In politics, sanctions must be tightened against companies that enable Russia’s war, Tynkkynen adds.
Also the Speaker of the Parliament Jussi Halla-ahon (ps.) special assistant and chairman of the Salo city council Heikki Tamminen (ps.) encourages a boycott.
– Even if it is manufactured in Finland, the parent company can make mass in Russia with its hands in the blood of Ukrainians and thus support the economy of the terrorist state, Tamminen writes in a public in his Facebook update.
Anti-corruption agency of Ukraine of NACP the war sponsor stamp has no legal sanctions for international companies. Ukraine’s goal is to make international business chains that are still linked to Russia visible, and to increase the pressure on companies to withdraw from Russia.
The Marabou boycott of companies operating in Finland continues
In the summer, several Swedish companies and even entire cities joined the boycott of Marabou chocolate after the giant company that owns the chocolate, Mondelez, ended up on Ukraine’s blacklist.
At least VR, Finnair, Ikea, Viking Line and Tallink Silja tell that the Marabou chocolates, which were boycotted in June, are still with them.
VR, Ikea and Finnair also boycotted all other Mondelez products.
In addition, Finnair says that it has now launched an investigation, the purpose of which is to “avoid” the products of Nestlé and the food giant Unilever, which was already named as a war sponsor.
Do the Russian connections of the products sold in the store affect your purchase decisions? You can discuss the topic until Friday, November 10 at 11 p.m.