Our cooperative

Is an association bringing together neighbours, both near and far, who share a common goal: to provide people with high quality, natural dairy products.

HISTORY

Local dairy production is steeped in old farming traditions which have been thriving for centuries in the fertile valley of the River Narew.

  • Cows of the Lutosławski family

    The Lutosławski family (from which the famous composer originated) was once established in Drozdowo. The family imported dairy cows to their estate and founded the first local creamery. For decades, its members continued to deliver premium quality products to the city of Łomża.

  • Lickety-split – off we go to Łomża

    After the war, the creamery was relocated to Łomża. It specialised in the production of butter (180 tonnes a year) and cheese (30 tonnes a year). The facility was growing dramatically and in just five years boosted its employment from just nine to 74 staff members.

  • Let’s give it to the people

    The dairy plant was transformed into the Regional Dairy Cooperative in Łomża. Due to its worn and torn machinery and dilapidated building, several years later a decision was made to erect a new building for the cooperative. But where?

  • Welcome to Piątnica!

    A new site for the facility was found in Piątnica, where the milk processing plant launched its operations under a new name: Okręgowa Spółdzielnia Mleczarska in Łomży with its business seat in Piątnica. At the time, it employed 94 people and processed 14 million litres of milk a year.

  • OSM Piątnica, hello!

    This is when our cooperative was finally established. We are committed to the Łomża region for better and worse; we support local breeders and farmers, and play a pivotal role in our community. And that’s good, because together we can do more and perform even better.

  • The first big thing!

    We were the first in Poland to launch Cottage Cheese, which continues to be the most-loved cheese across our country. Ever since that time, we have been relentlessly seeking new solutions in the universe of dairy products, while staying true to our tradition and integrity.

  • Teaming up with Ostrołęka

    We merged with the “Ostrołęka” Dairy Cooperative, which has now been renamed as the OSM Piątnica Production Facility in Ostrołęka. As a result, we were able to expand our product range and enhance it with certified organic milk, and much more.

  • mid-19th century
  • 1947
  • 1957
  • 1965
  • 1981
  • 1992
  • 2011
  • The Iconic Cottage Cheese
  • Jolly good cream
  • Our recipe for curd cheese
  • Our unique milk
  • Yoghurts for children
  • Good and lactose-free
  • From Iceland to Poland
  • Uncompromising quality
  • Craving something delicious
  • Wonders of nature<br/> from Piątnica

  • Achievements
    that make us proud

    The Iconic Cottage Cheese

    It has been with us since 1992. This product has garnered multiple awards for its flavour and quality, and Poles have fallen head over heels for it. It’s a pioneer in the cottage cheese category and the enduring number 1 in our country.

  • Achievements
    that make us proud

    Jolly good cream

    We are famous for our reliable sour cream with 18% fat content, which doesn’t curdle in soups. We were the first in Poland to introduce standardised cream packaging (readily available 200 g cups), colour codes as well as tips and advice on how to use the product.

  • Achievements
    that make us proud

    Our recipe for curd cheese

    We pioneered sales of curd cheese with a fixed weight and price, which comes in durable open and close packaging. Soon after, this solution gained a foothold not only in Poland, but also beyond!

  • Achievements
    that make us proud

    Our unique milk

    Following the merger with the Ostrołęka Dairy Plant, As a result, our milk retains even more nutrients and is more delicious. Our range now features certified organic milk from traditional free range cows.

  • Achievements
    that make us proud

    Yoghurts for children

    In 2015, we were the first in Poland to launch nutritious Greek-style yoghurt in a version designed for children. Its main draws are a simple formula and delicious fruity flavour. It is made of yoghurt and slightly sweetened fruit, while the vanilla version contains specks of ground vanilla bean. Are you already familiar with Piątuś?

  • Achievements
    that make us proud

    Good and lactose-free

    In 2016, we expanded our range with lactose-free milk, which stands out with unchanged flavour and is packed with nutrients. A year later, we introduced lactose-free Cottage Cheese. We made sure that both of these products have no distinctive sweetish aftertaste, a frequent complaint of those who follow a lactose-free diet.

  • Achievements
    that make us proud

    From Iceland to Poland

    We were the first in Poland to launch on the market the scrumptious and highly nutritious Icelandic-style yoghurt known as skyr. In addition to traditional thick and dense skyr, we also introduced a handy drinkable version. This Icelandic treat has became a massive success and continues to surge in popularity.

  • Achievements
    that make us proud

    Uncompromising quality

    We have always been upping the ante in terms of milk flavour and quality. In 2019, we introduced the highest grade of purchased milk, which means that we comply with requirements which are three times more stringent than EU requirements.

  • Achievements
    that make us proud

    Craving something delicious

    In 2019, we launched traditional fromage frais with natural and simple ingredients and flavour which brings back childhood memories. In addition to classic vanilla flavour, we have also introduced different variants to our range: natural, strawberry, and stracciatella-flavoured fromage frais.

  • Achievements
    that make us proud

    Wonders of nature
    from Piątnica

    Whey protein cocktails are an innovation launched in 2020. A unique ingredient, or unprocessed, fresh whey protein – the most valuable milk protein – has been blended with fruit to produce a nutritious and scrumptious treat. It must be magic!

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Truly committed
to quality

We were the first dairy cooperative in Poland to implement the Integrated Management System that covers the ISO 9001 quality management system, the HACCP-based food safety system, as well as the ISO 14001 environmental management system. We also hold an International Food Standard certificate.

Quite simply: we make sure that all our products are produced in an exemplary manner, and we commit ourselves to even more stringent requirements than the EU in terms of milk quality.

Best quality milk

The outstanding biological value of our milk would never be possible without the pristine, organic meadows and pastures that surround our facility. These areas include the Biebrza National Park, the Łomża Landscape Park of the Narew Valley and the wilderness of the Kurpie Zielone region, dotted with nature reserves.
The area from which milk is purchased as well as exclusive cooperation with farms that meet stringent standards enable us to provide our customers with the best natural and healthy products.

Out of care for the environment

The location of our cooperative obliges us to undertake special measures focused on the environment. We are well aware that protection of local nature has a massive impact on the quality of products from Piątnica. Therefore, we observe principles of sustainable development across all stages of production. We reduce emissions, noise levels, waste and industrial wastewater volumes. We put the spotlight on sober water and energy management, while our milk processing process is exemplary in terms of technology.

  • Electric and thermal energy

    In 2011, OSM Piątnica launched its own heat and power plant. The investment makes the cooperative ultimately self-sufficient in terms of electric energy and covers most of its demand for heat energy. The facility is efficient, green and economic and operates in line with the sustainable development policy.

    The heat and power plant is powered with natural gas. It is a cogeneration facility, which means that it combines production of electric energy with heat generation. This is one of the most effective methods of saving primary energy. It also translates into lower fuel consumption and reduces atmospheric emissions of harmful compounds.

    At OSM Piątnica, we achieve high process efficiency We recover heat in several stages:

    • from coolants reducing temperature in motors of electric power generator units
    • in the heat recovery steam generator
    • in economisers

    With efficient devices and reduced energy transmission losses, we are able to capitalise on up to 75% of primary energy from fuel gas. The high cogeneration level of our heat and power plant is best illustrated by the fact that we are eligible for special “yellow energy performance certificates.”

  • Water

    We follow the policy of integrated emission prevention and contamination control and do our best to mitigate the negative impact on the environment as much as possible. To this end, we have introduced modern solutions that help us save and reuse service water.

    As a result, we have managed to reduce water consumption by up to 240 cubic metres per day. Currently, less than 2.9 litres of water are used to produce one litre of processed milk.

  • Sewage management

    An upgraded and expanded treatment plant has been operating within the premises of OSM Piątnica since 2012. This is where liquid waste from production processes is treated. Currently, the plant has a capacity to purify up to 2,500 cubic meters of wastewater a day.

    Our wastewater treatment plant operates a three-step system for increased efficiency in nutrient removal targeting nitrogen and phosphorus. Our production process stands out with excellent indicators of COD concentration (chemical oxygen demand) in generated wastewater.

  • Environmental Management System aligned with ISO 14 001

    As a responsibly operating company, we implemented the ISO 14 001 certificate in 2003. This document confirms that we are doing business in a way that reinforces environmental protection and prevents its contamination, taking into consideration social and economic needs.

    In addition to required investments, implementation of ISO 14 001 offers a number of vital benefits:

    1. It enhances the image of the company in the eyes of customers, external audit bodies and business partners. We are a company with a developed awareness of its impact on the environment and we embrace environmental aspects in our business.
    2. This boosts the environmental awareness of employees of our cooperative. It teaches respect for the natural environment in a practical way by reducing the volume of contamination discharged to the in-house wastewater treatment plant and rational consumption of service water used to ensure hygiene, clean machinery and produce finished products.
    3. It offers economic benefits that include informed implementation of measures in line with current environmental protection regulations.
    4. It reduces costs related to energy consumption.
    5. It also ensures compliance of the company with legal regulations relating to the natural environment.
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Utworzenie Centrum Badawczo-Rozwojowego OSM w Piątnicy

Realizacja projektu ma na celu utworzenie Centrum Badawczo-Rozwojowego Okręgowej Spółdzielni Mleczarskiej w Piątnicy na rzecz tworzenia nowych technologii i procesów przetwórstwa mleka oraz opracowywania innowacyjnych produktów mleczarskich i środków spożywczych specjalnego przeznaczenia.

Całkowita wartość projektu: 96 094 378,53 PLN
Kwota dofinansowania projektu: 37 133 755,50 PLN
www.mapadotacji.gov.pl

Process description
Budowa Centrum Badawczo-Rozwojowego oraz wyposażenie go w niezbędne urządzenia i aparaturę badawczą umożliwi znaczące zwiększenie skali działalności badawczo-rozwojowej OSM Piątnica, czego rezultatem będzie opracowanie innowacyjnych produktów oraz innowacji procesowych. Projekt pozwoli na podniesienie konkurencyjności Spółdzielni poprzez przyśpieszenie i unowocześnienie procesów opracowywania nowych produktów oraz umożliwi rozwijanie dotychczasowej i nawiązywanie nowej współpracy z jednostkami naukowymi i przedsiębiorcami sektora MSP.

Dokumenty i certyfikaty