About us
Founded by the Dutch dairy industry, we develop processes and products applying science and technology at lab scale and in our food-grade processing centre.
Founded by the Dutch dairy industry, we develop processes and products applying science and technology at lab scale and in our food-grade processing centre. After a management buy-out in 2009 we now are a private and independent company. We work for food and health companies worldwide, applying our expertise in proteins, bacteria and processing. Find out more about our history
You’ve come to the world’s leading company in contract research for better food and health. NIZO is a private and independent company. We are one of the most advanced R&D centres in the world and bring the latest food technologies to life in our food-grade processing centre. Our focus is on the development and applications of innovations for the global food industry and related markets. Our customers value their gains in product quality, sustainability, cost effectiveness and speed to m
arket. We are continuously looking for new ways of improving food products, and at the same time quality of life. Our headquarters are in Ede, the Netherlands.
Every day the world population increases by 200,000 people. People who need good, healthy and safe food. We know better food is essential for better health. Today, and in the future for our children. That’s why we are convinced that the only road to success is to work closely with our customers: innovative food, ingredient and health companies. Our knowledge and expertise in bacteria, proteins and processing is the starting point of our contribution to innovation.
Engagement of our customers naturally results in value creation. We are only satisfied when our innovations actually reach consumers. When our customers grow their competitive advantage, consumers enjoy better food and health. That’s the reason we come to work at NIZO every day. Now and in the future.
At the start of the 21st century changes in the dairy industry had become permanent. NIZO transformed from a foundation into a company. Guaranteed funding from the dairy industry gradually disappeared and was replaced by income from contract research. We could work for any company, except for the international dairy industry as NIZO was still owned by the Dutch dairy companies. International offices were opened in the UK, France and the USA, and in 2007 a new office was opened in Japan.
Our 60th anniversary in 2008 was marked by the opening of a new Application Centre with industrial kitchen facilities. In this facility we develop new food concepts together with our customers, scientists or a chef.
A year later, in 2009, NIZO management bought the company from the dairy industries. This meant we could now work with any company in the world. Today we are a private, independent, company. All income is generated by R&D and production contracts with industry worldwide: 60% of turnover is from outside the Netherlands. We work on a one-on-one basis together with our customers, global players in food and health. We grant our customers IP ownership upfront and strengthen their competitive advantage by shortening time to market and reducing costs.
In 2016 Gilde Healthcare, a transatlantic investor in fast growing healthcare technology and healthcare services companies, took a majority share in NIZO. This underlines our ambition to broaden the development and application of our innovative technologies from food to related markets such as personal care and pharma.
