Finlandia Cheese Inc., part of Valio, a Helsinki, Finland-headquartered dairy and food company, is changing its name to Valio USA, effective Oct. 1. The name change is part of the Parsippany, N.J.-based company’s expansion into new innovative categories such as plant-based cheese alternatives, as well as value-added dairy ingredients and solutions for US food manufacturers, Valio said.

The new name will also provide a closer connection between the subsidiary and its parent company in corporate branding and messaging. Due to its strong recognition among consumers, Finlandia will remain the brand name for Valio USA’s cheese and butter line, Valio said.

“We just introduced our new plant-based Oddlygood vegan cheese alternatives to the USA market,” said Mari Meriluoto, director of marketing and business development for Valio USA. “They taste great and melt perfectly in pizza. As we are expanding to new categories outside of traditional cheese and butter, we feel that the Valio USA name will give us more flexibility to develop a variety of innovative new products that make everyday meals extra delicious.”

Valio said it also makes dairy ingredients and solutions that help food manufacturers fulfill demand for health requirements, including free-from, high-protein and low-sugar requests. The company now wants to bring these value-added dairy ingredients and solutions to the U.S. market. Valio’s solutions will allow food manufacturers in the region to deliver new recipes that satisfy the growing consumer trends.

Valio USA’s new corporate website can be found at www.valio.com/us.