More than 11,000 jobs in food technology
The Southeast Netherlands is a hotbed of food technology R&D thanks to its world-class research institutes. In terms of food production and processing, Brainport is the third-ranked Dutch export region. The food and refreshment industry focus extends beyond consumer goods to semi-finished products for other industrial sectors, including sugar, cocoa, flour and starch. It also supplies animal feed to the farming sector while other products are bound for the chemical, pharmaceutical and paper industries.
For the Southeast Netherlands, the added value of the food sector lies mostly in the synergy it has with technology spearheads like High Tech Systems and Lifetec.
The major food producers like Campina, Bavaria, Nutreco and DSM are complemented by hundreds of SMEs active in food production and processing whose range varies from confectionery, meat, dairy products, beer and vegetables to ingredients and 'powders' for the food industry.
Opportunities
Learn more about the opportunities in food & technology
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Learn more about the talents that inhabit the brainport region
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non alcoholic beer
In Lieshout they brew a quite unique 0,0% alcohol beer. Normally with non alcoholic beer, the alcohol is filtered out of at the end of the production process. Bavaria changed the brewing process so that no alcohol is produced at all. This makes for a great, full taste.
Pascalisation
Pascalisation is a healthy preservation technique. Normally, food is preserved by pasteurisation or sterilisation. These techniques implies that the food will be put under high temperature, where bacteries will be killed. But during this process, a part of the taste, colour and nutritional value will be lost.
Mars
Evaporated milk (coffee creamer) in handy sachets
A unique concept, as this is the first time that the product is being marketed in liquid form in sachets. The sachet contains thirty-five grams, the exact amount needed for one cup of tea or coffee.
R&D expenditure
In 2004 the Dutch food and stimulant industry spent € 227 million on R&D. Compared to the food and stimulant industries in other countries, Dutch R&D expenditure is relatively high.
Strong technology RevoPortioner’s
RevoPortioner’s strength is its technology. Whilst maintaining the quality, texture and structure of the raw materials, the machine forms perfectly portioned quality products at low pressure. Central to the technology are a forming drum, which is flexibel in its use, and air to unload products from the drum. Water is no longer needed.