Pureness Puhdistamo – superfoods with a big heart!
Pureness Puhdistamo was founded in 2008, when a group of friends got inspired of importing a variety of clean and nutritious superfoods to Finland. At that time, superfoods were not really known as such in Finland, and overall the available selection of gluten-free products, for example, was really poor.
The first products sold by Puhdistamo were nutritious foods, like “superfoods” such as goji berry, coconut oil, toco and rice protein.
“Goji berry is a great example of a superfood in the sense in which Puhdistamo defines a superfood. Goji berries have a tremendous amount of nutrients in a small package, as well as the same amount of protein as in cottage cheese, for example, although they are “just” a berry. Toco, on the other hand, is a good alternative to milk in baking, and rice protein is a pure plant-based protein to replace the poor quality of contemporary whey proteins,” Laiho says.
The best and most nutritious products from many parts of the world
Each culture has its own national treasures in the form of food. In Ecuador, for example, cocoa beans have even been used as money in ancient times. Coconut water is the treasure of Thailand, coconut oil is treasured in the Philippines, and chaga in Finland – the so-called black gold of Finnish forests.
“Puhdistamo’s philosophy is to make these national treasures of different cultures available to everyone and also to be the leading representative of Finnish exports,” Laiho says.
“Our vision is to bring additive-free, organic, grain-free and, above all, healthy food products to the market. It would be great if different energy drinks and coke could be replaced with healthy drink options like coconut water and kombucha.”
No compromising on quality
Puhdistamo enjoys a reputation as a responsible company that knows the backgrounds of its products inside and out. And they’ve earned their reputation!
“Since its establishment, Puhdistamo has relied entirely on top quality. When we put the Puhdistamo logo on something, we guarantee that the product is the best possible in that category,” says Laiho.
A pioneer of superfoods
Puhdistamo is one of the superfood veterans in Finland – perhaps even the first. Its future also looks quite bright: clean and healthy food is not going away.
“The health megatrend is increasingly popular in Finland, in part focusing on the purest, most ethical, easily traceable and nutrient-rich diet possible. This same megatrend also includes, for example, self-monitoring, mental well-being – even a good night's sleep. However, nutrition is one of the most easily tracked parts of this megatrend and superfoods are at its forefront,” according to Laiho.
“Today, people's awareness of the health effects of various additives and ethical awareness of the origin of food has grown hugely. We want to continue to meet even the most demanding product wishes of consumers. In addition to quality, ready-to-use and easy-to-use products, such as collagen smoothies and ready-made smoothie mixes, have become important. Fast food and drink, such as coconut water and kombucha, are also experiencing explosive growth,” Laiho adds.
Coconut water is a favorite
The most popular of Puhdistamo’s products is their coconut water, which has also been chosen as the best drink at Ruohonjuuri – “A piece of Thai paradise”.
“I remember when a few years ago coconut water was launched in Finland in a big way. We had no idea how the product would be received, but we had a strong belief in it. Its current popularity has exceeded all expectations many times over,” Laiho says.
Puhdistamo’s goal is to create something new and offer healthier alternatives to consumers. Currently, the most popular product is the kombucha lactic acid bacterial drink. That fermented tea drink, which tastes like soda, contains about a billion good bacteria.
“Our next step is to make kombucha the Coca-Cola of the future among young people,” Laiho envisions.
"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food" – Hippocrates