Stories

How do we make sure we assign the right value to sustainably farmed cocoa? This was the main topic at the World Cocoa Conference. No fewer than 1,000 stakeholders, including Choprabisco, descended on Brussels to affirm their commitment to ensuring sustainable chocolate. 

Produce food with less water? It is possible! March 22nd, World Water Day, What’s Cooking? inaugurated its brand-new water reuse installation. The installation results in half the amount of wastewater and half the amount of groundwater usage. 

Putting together a nutritious meal has never been easier. Cube, an SME from West Flanders, has launched an innovation: smoothies in the form of frozen drops. “With the drops, one can create a nutritious smoothie bowl in no time, without compromising on taste or quality.”

What grapes are to fine wine, are hops to great beer. Brewery Palm is investing in the future of Belgian hops by joining forces with the non-profit organisation "De Orde van de Groene Bel". By teaming up, the brewery is aiming for more locally sourced raw materials in its beers.

Beyers Koffie is teaming up with CEE, a Belgian cleantech company, to create the first-ever all-electric coffee roasting line on an industrial scale. An innovation that reduces energy consumption by up to three times, thus reducing the climate impact of coffee production. 

The world’s biggest macaron factory, you ask? Well, it happens to be based in Belgium. PMSweet poured substantial investments in a 17,000 m2 state-of-the-art factory. An investment that rightly allows PMSweet to call itself the world’s biggest macaron producer. 

The chocolate producer Gudrun, located in Lier, developed a chocolate delight based on cocoa fruit pulp, the pod of the cocoa bean. The Cacaofruit Bites is a great example of circularity, in which the residual product is being incorporated into the final product.

Belcolade, a Belgian subsidiary of Puratos, expands its chocolate factory situated in Erembodegem. Worth over 120 million euros, this is Puratos’ largest investment so far. The goal? To double the production capacity and to become "Belgium's first 100% carbon-neutral chocolate factory".

A delegation of the Belgian food industry recently joined an economic mission to Australia, which is currently our 5th overseas export destination. An export market with a clear potential for Belgian food & drink companies: high time to explore the land Down Under! 

What started 45 years ago as a modest confectionery company developed into a globally renowned chocolate brand of Belgian origin with both private and professional customers. Ovidias has a sustainable passion: to make delicious chocolates with love for the craft and the planet.

Anuga 2023 is a wrap! The food fair in Cologne was again the event of the year for our members. As many as 192 Belgian food companies talked to existing and potentially new customers about their diverse products and latest innovations.