Sector Food production

Entrepreneurs and employees from the food industry will find here the answer to the question “what can ILVO do for me?”. You’ll get a brief overview of relevant expertise, analyses, infrastructure, and the professional approach that characterizes ILVO. For more information and specific questions, please contact the Food Pilot, a joint project of ILVO and Flanders’ FOOD.

Go to FoodPilot.be

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What does ILVO do?

ILVO determines the nutritional value, shelf life, and allergens for product labels. In addition, ILVO runs advanced analyses for more complex food issues, such as controlling food pathogens, cleaning and disinfecting the production site, detecting odor and taste deviations in food, residue detection, determination of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), etc. More than 80 analyses are accredited and many more are carried out in accredited environments.

> See the list of food analyses
In the Food Pilot of ILVO and Flanders’ FOOD, production of food and non-food can be simulated on a semi-industrial scale. Over 50 pieces of equipment are available, making it possible to test a wide range of processes for dairy, meat, fish, soups, sauces, vegetable products, bakery and chocolate, snacks, and animal feed. Using innovative processing technologies, the food technologists look for ways to save time, expense, and energy while simultaneously maximizing the preservation of taste and aroma, nutritional value, food safety, and functional properties of raw materials.

> More info: Foodpilot.be
ILVO and the Food Pilot team regularly organize demos of innovative technologies, seminars on food research, and networking events for specific sectors. Keep an eye on the calendar and subscribe to the Food Pilot Newsletter so you don’t miss anything.
Using both hardware and software (data management), ILVO inspires and supports businesses in their transition to Industry 4.0. Special attention is paid to the connectivity of processes within the business and throughout the chain. The Internet of Things (IoT) and big data analytics form the basis for this. ILVO also has its own workshop to validate sensors, build prototypes, and test different solutions. Via testing setups in the Food Pilot, they are then evaluated in practice.

> More info and real-life examples: Living Lab Agrifood Technology
ILVO uses sensors and data analysis to identify variability within product flows before or during processing or to detect anomalies. One example is the use of hyper- and multispectral cameras and spectrometers for the fast, non-contact, and non-destructive estimation of various quality parameters of raw product flows or food products.

> More info and real-life examples: Living Lab Agrifood Technology
ILVO has extensive expertise in the cultivation and breeding of primary plant and animal raw materials. ILVO is always looking for new potential crops or raw materials for the Flemish primary sectors, for which there is a specific demand in the food industry or bioeconomy. ILVO has a broad network in the agrifood industry and can use this to develop new, local sales chains.

> Read also what ILVO does for horticulture and ornamental growers, arable farming, pig farming, poultry and rabbit farming, dairy farming, beef cattle farming, fisheries and aquaculture
ILVO strives for nutritionally balanced, safe, and tasty food for a growing global population, within a sustainable and economically healthy framework. We have expertise in target group nutrition, nutritional physiology in the (mini)pig as a model for humans, consumer acceptance, life cycle analysis, etc. ILVO does not aim to do clinical health research but rather seeks alliances with the healthcare sector. This led ILVO to take the important step as co-founder of NuHCaS, an open research and innovation center that brings together the disciplines of Nutrition, Health, and Care in a systemic approach.

> Read more about nutrition and health in Food: balanced and healthy
Not every issue requires pilot testing or extensive lab analysis. Sometimes, the answer can also be found in the scientific literature. ILVO has a broad overview of available scientific knowledge on food processing, safety, authenticity, and quality.

How does ILVO work?

With the above broad range of expertise and a modern research infrastructure, ILVO wants to support companies in the agri-food sector. We help you with questions such as:

I want to scale up my production - which production technology do I need?
What is the shelf life of my product? Can I improve it?
What should be on the label? What is the nutritional value of my product?
I have a problem with Salmonella and Listeria. How can I clean and disinfect my production environment to avoid contamination?
How can I prove that my product does not contain residues, GMOs or allergens?
..

For food companies small and large

Every year, ILVO and the Food Pilot carry out more than 500 nutritional trials and more than 20,000 nutritional analyses for over 400 businesses, laboratories, and government authorities. Large businesses, small businesses, start-ups, and on-farm food processors are welcome.

ILVO helps you find any available subsidies, even if your company is located outside of Belgium. There is a specific subsidy channel for on-farm food processors, i.e. the ‘KRATOS innovation support for on-farm food processors’ (NL). This allows you to purchase services from the Food Pilot worth up to €1,500, e.g. for assistance in the development of a new recipe or the improvement of a processing procedure or product.

Watch a video about this KRATOS support and what it can do for an on-farm food processor below (NL), or read the KRATOS informational leaflet (NL).

Your ILVO and Food Pilot guarantee

Free intake interview, during which we analyze your problem and formulate the initial advice on the necessary steps, production equipment, recipes, and points of attention
80 nutritionists and over 300 experts in the broad agri-food sector
Scientifically substantiated solutions that can be used in YOUR business
Confidential handling of your question
Possibility to take advantage of different subsidies

Watch a video about the Food Pilot below (NL) or read the Food Pilot leaflet about its success stories (NL)

All ILVO expertises at your service

ILVO works in an interdisciplinary fashion and has a network of living labs that work closely together. A problem or question is therefore examined from many different angles by ILVO experts from different disciplines. This is guaranteed by ILVO's broad and systematic approach, together with the typical openness of the ILVO culture.