Because it tastes so good! When something tastes straight-up fantastic, it’s just the feeling you have. Or at least that’s what chef Anders Ankan Lindén thought. Oumph! is his expression; something he’s used in his work in fine restaurants and large factories all around the globe. To us this feeling is always the same: in the product itself, the spices we use and the dishes we make. It’s always just…Oumph!!

First and foremost, comes the texture. It’s the base of the wickedly good taste experience! We believe in mouthwatering food. Food that inspires, but that’s also easy to cook and fills you up. Then comes the fact that it’s incredibly healthy. And finally, because it’s really good for the environment. The climate impact of Oumph! is impeccably low and something we’re incredibly proud of.

 

Our life cycle analysis indicates 1.39kg CO2e per kilo raw material. Or 8.2kg CO2e per kg protein. That’s so awesome that we’ve stopped comparing our climate impact with meat and instead are benchmarking it against the planetary boundaries. Plain and simple, Oumph! is food that can be enough for everyone without messing up the climate. Yeah!

 

It’s also something that everyone can eat, no matter if they’re a vegetarian, flexitarian, meat eater or vegan. And as long as no one is allergic to soya protein, when you put Oumph! on the table, everyone eats!

And of course, it’s just so easy and quick to cook. Fast, fair and good food. What more could you want?

Our favorite diet is the eat-all-the-good-foods-diet. And soy is straight up a pretty rad ingredient. From a nutritional standpoint it’s almost unbeatable, containing a lot of protein, fibre, folic acid and other vitamins and minerals. Soy also fills up your belly in a comfortable and long-lasting way. Since our soy doesn’t contribute to the deforestation of the rainforest, the only bad thing we can think of is that some people are unfortunate enough to be allergic. Booo.

The soya used to make Oumph! is grown in Europe, in the Danube region to be precise. We used to buy soya from North America, but not any longer. In the future we may source soya from other parts of the world in order to ensure continued production and to keep up with demand, in the event that the weather gods are unruly in Europe.

We don’t buy any soya from South America, in order to ensure that we don’t contribute to the deforestation of the rain forest. We are an active partner in Svenska Sojadialogen, a voluntary initiative set up in Sweden that works towards a more responsible production of soya. As part of this initiative, we have also committed to purchasing RTRS-credits (RTRS=Roundtable Responsible Soy) for all of our soya based products, and thus contributing to more sustainable soya production in South America, even though we are not using it ourselves in our products.

Absolutely! It doesn’t contain any animal ingredients. Which means it’s fabulous food for vegans, and everyone else too.

It can be, but it can also be the opposite. The increase of industrial soya protein production in rainforest areas, is a direct effect of the expanding meat industry. And the largest share of soya protein currently goes to animal feed. The smartest thing we can do to maximize the use from our agricultural land and the water we have access to, is eat more directly from the plant kingdom, instead of feeding animals so that they can feed us. So we can do good! By effectively using our resources and turning soya protein directly into food like Oumph!

 

We also make sure that our soya protein is bought from producers in countries where farming doesn’t take place in deforested areas.

The nutritional value of Oumph! is on par with the high standards that are set in order for us to talk about it loud and proud! So, we can say “rich in protein and fibre” and “a great source of iron and folic acid”. At the same time, it’s low in calories and nearly fat free. In fact, we’ve even had a dietary expert saying that Oumph! is “among the most nutritionally dense foods I’ve ever seen”.

1. Soya protein concentrate is extracted from soya beans
2. The soya protein concentrate is mixed with water into a dough. The dough goes through a machine that creates its structure through pressure and heat. It’s the same kind of technique that is used in the making of products like Cheese Doodles – the inventors just had a different texture in mind! The raw material for Oumph! is produced in Holland.
3. In our factory in the Swedish town of Stora Levene, Västra Götaland, we refine the texture and the taste by adding broths, marinades and sauces. We’re going to keep on creating new Oumph! products forever and ever.

 

The Pure Oumph!, which is unseasoned, contains nothing but soy protein concentrate, water and salt. For The Spicy Oumph!, where it has been necessary we’ve used approved organic additives: citric acid, dextrose, the starch xanthan gum and yeast extract. We use yeast extract very sparingly, but sometimes it just adds that extra flavour tone. We don’t work with any artificial flavour enhancers such as monosodium glutamate.

Why would we compare it to meat? These are new times; the plant kingdom has to be front and center or the planet we live on won’t be able to feed us all. An epic new thing deserves its own name, and this is just too good to be a substitute for something else.

It is however relevant that Oumph! is LIKE meat. Both when it comes to how it feels in your mouth and how it’s prepared. Many people like the taste and feel of meat. It gives a feeling of eating food that you’re used to, food that leaves you full and satisfied. To switch meat for something that gets the job done in the same way makes change easier. Both for us as individuals and for the food industry as a whole.