Ranking · Flanders · NACE 10
Manufacture of food products: the largest employers in Flanders
As of 14 Nov 2026, 2,131 companies in Manufacture of food products (NACE 10) in Flanders report employees in recent accounts (financial years 2023 to 2026). The 10 largest employers account for 10,018.4 FTE, out of 61,492.1 for all of them; median headcount is 5.2 FTE. Puratos leads with 1,452.7 FTE (financial year 2025).
Top 50 · Manufacture of food products · Flanders
Ranked by average headcount (FTE) reported in the latest filed accounts (accounts less than 3 years old).
| # | Company | Total assets | Revenue | Equity | FTE | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Puratos 1702 Dilbeek | €1.04bn | €1.01bn | €200.1m | 1,452.7 | 2025 |
| 2 | FrieslandCampina Belgium 9880 Aalter | €378.3m | €1.51bn | €115.8m | 1,129.3 | 2025 |
| 3 | Barry Callebaut Belgium NV 9280 Lebbeke | €2.63bn | €6.57bn | €246.6m | 1,016.6 | 2025 |
| 4 | Cargill NV 2800 Mechelen | €2.46bn | €13.4bn | €494.3m | 992.8 | 2025 |
| 5 | Lotus Bakeries België 9971 Kaprijke | €254.3m | €421.6m | €141.8m | 991.7 | 2025 |
| 6 | Mondelez Belgium Manufacturing Services 2200 Herentals | €56.1m | €78.7m | −€3.85m | 950.5 | 2025 |
| 7 | Westvlees 8840 Staden | €145.6m | €598.9m | €71.2m | 911.9 | 2025 |
| 8 | Snack Food Poco Loco 8800 Roeselare | €271.8m | €409.7m | €154.8m | 893.2 | 2025 |
| 9 | Agristo 8710 Wielsbeke | €1.08bn | €1.22bn | €682.4m | 843.3 | 2025 |
| 10 | Greenyard Prepared Belgium 3960 Bree | €154.3m | €271.5m | €42.5m | 836.4 | 2026 |
| 11 | Alpro 8560 Wevelgem | €452.7m | €608.6m | €297.7m | 796.2 | 2025 |
| 12 | La Lorraine Ninove 9400 Ninove | €137.6m | €598.0m | €19.0m | 734.0 | 2025 |
| 13 | Clarebout Potatoes 8950 Heuvelland | €986.6m | €1.80bn | €548.7m | 711.6 | 2024 |
| 14 | Imperial Meat Products 9920 Lievegem | €113.0m | €250.4m | €38.3m | 617.0 | 2025 |
| 15 | Veurne Snack Foods 8630 Veurne | €191.8m | €92.7m | €121.1m | 598.8 | 2025 |
| 16 | wimble manufacturing Belgium 2800 Mechelen | €196.9m | €127.9m | €132.5m | 581.6 | 2025 |
| 17 | Milcobel Dairy 9120 Beveren-Kruibeke-Zwijndrecht | €214.2m | €781.2m | −€37.9m | 557.2 | 2025 |
| 18 | Raffinerie Tirlemontoise 3300 Tienen | €795.4m | €367.9m | €348.9m | 545.3 | 2026 |
| 19 | YSCO 8920 Langemark-Poelkapelle | €153.9m | €475.9m | €105.9m | 539.1 | 2025 |
| 20 | Plukon Maasmechelen 3630 Maasmechelen | €83.5m | €463.4m | €18.3m | 523.3 | 2025 |
| 21 | Darta 8850 Ardooie | €297.2m | €293.6m | €161.3m | 480.4 | 2025 |
| 22 | Barry Callebaut Manufacturing Halle 1500 Halle | €146.8m | €78.1m | €49.4m | 468.0 | 2024 |
| 23 | Danone Rotselaar SP 3110 Rotselaar | €1.60bn | €298.2m | €1.53bn | 465.2 | 2025 |
| 24 | Biscuiterie Thijs 2288 Grobbendonk | €69.7m | €181.8m | €44.4m | 457.7 | 2025 |
| 25 | Neuhaus 1602 Sint-Pieters-Leeuw | €101.8m | €141.6m | €36.2m | 450.4 | 2025 |
| 26 | Inex 9520 Sint-Lievens-Houtem | €155.5m | €351.1m | €113.5m | 430.3 | 2025 |
| 27 | Farm Frites Belgium 3920 Lommel | €110.6m | €106.8m | €48.9m | 425.1 | 2025 |
| 28 | Etablissementen Joseph Soubry 8800 Roeselare | €109.4m | €147.7m | €87.1m | 413.2 | 2025 |
| 29 | Dujardin Foods 8851 Ardooie | €113.0m | €225.0m | €39.0m | 413.2 | 2025 |
| 30 | Volys Star 8860 Lendelede | €59.8m | €155.6m | €23.7m | 413.0 | 2025 |
| 31 | Aviko Belgium 8972 Poperinge | €203.2m | €89.6m | €73.6m | 405.9 | 2025 |
| 32 | Ardo Ardooie 8850 Ardooie | €63.9m | €140.3m | €37.0m | 398.5 | 2025 |
| 33 | Crelem Bakeries 3650 Dilsen-Stokkem | €47.8m | €90.7m | €13.7m | 394.0 | 2025 |
| 34 | Astra Sweets 2300 Turnhout | €116.8m | €113.6m | €33.7m | 391.4 | 2025 |
| 35 | Arvesta Animal Nutrition 3012 Leuven | €78.8m | €250.5m | €25.7m | 390.7 | 2025 |
| 36 | Greenyard Frozen Belgium 8840 Staden | €276.3m | €310.8m | €82.5m | 349.6 | 2026 |
| 37 | La Lorraine Erpe-Mere 9420 Erpe-Mere | €195.7m | €225.2m | −€1.09m | 321.5 | 2025 |
| 38 | Mowi Belgium 8000 Bruges | €123.0m | €241.9m | €84.3m | 313.0 | 2025 |
| 39 | Tereos Starch & Sweeteners Belgium 9300 Aalst | €308.8m | €1.02bn | €97.9m | 311.9 | 2026 |
| 40 | DeliBarn Wommelgem 2160 Wommelgem | €31.8m | €94.4m | €7.26m | 311.5 | 2025 |
| 41 | Pauwels 2520 Ranst | €93.2m | €310.4m | €54.6m | 285.9 | 2025 |
| 42 | Belgian Ice Cream Group 2460 Kasterlee | €42.9m | €66.5m | €18.3m | 274.8 | 2025 |
| 43 | Roelandt 9240 Zele | €19.3m | €67.8m | €5.05m | 270.4 | 2026 |
| 44 | Versele-Laga 9800 Deinze | €85.6m | €278.7m | €34.4m | 269.2 | 2025 |
| 45 | Mars Belgium 1932 Zaventem | €319.3m | €334.6m | €26.0m | 262.2 | 2025 |
| 46 | SanoRice Belgium 9620 Zottegem | €45.7m | €78.9m | €21.5m | 258.5 | 2025 |
| 47 | Mulder Natural Foods 8800 Roeselare | €59.5m | €178.4m | €41.7m | 254.4 | 2025 |
| 48 | Meat & More 9880 Aalter | €55.6m | €174.8m | €22.3m | 251.4 | 2025 |
| 49 | Culinor 9070 Destelbergen | €31.6m | €76.9m | €11.3m | 232.1 | 2025 |
| 50 | United Beet Seeds Belgium 3300 Tienen | €148.3m | €189.5m | €72.3m | 224.7 | 2025 |
Ranking based on each company's own annual accounts (statutory, not consolidated): a subsidiary and its parent appear separately, and the ranking differs from lists based on consolidated group accounts. Headcount reported by the company for all its sites: the jobs may be located elsewhere.
Manufacture of food products across Belgium → All sectors · Flanders →
Other sectors · Flanders
- 01 Crop and animal production, hunting and related service activities1,948
- 02 Forestry and logging64
- 03 Fishing and aquaculture60
- 08 Other mining and quarrying41
- 11 Manufacture of beverages152
- 12 Manufacture of tobacco products15
- 13 Manufacture of textiles422
- 14 Manufacture of wearing apparel128
- 15 Manufacture of leather and related products of other materials22
- 16 Manufacture of wood and of products of wood and cork, except furniture; manufacture of articles of straw and plaiting materials497
- 17 Manufacture of paper and paper products150
- 18 Printing and reproduction of recorded media466
- 19 Manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products11
- 20 Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products365
- 21 Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations72
- 22 Manufacture of rubber and plastic products373
- 23 Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products564
- 24 Manufacture of basic metals153
- 25 Manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment2,058
- 26 Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products239
- 27 Manufacture of electrical equipment229
- 28 Manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c.652
- 29 Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers183
- 30 Manufacture of other transport equipment60
- 31 Manufacture of furniture513
- 32 Other manufacturing416
- 33 Repair, maintenance and installation of machinery and equipment708
- 35 Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply108
- 36 Water collection, treatment and supply15
- 37 Sewerage72
- 38 Waste collection, recovery and disposal activities378
- 39 Remediation activities and other waste management service activities40
- 41 Construction of residential and non-residential buildings3,494
- 42 Civil engineering943
- 43 Specialised construction activities10,807
- 46 Wholesale trade10,015
- 47 Retail trade11,712
- 49 Land transport and transport via pipelines3,118
- 50 Water transport118
- 51 Air transport32
- 52 Warehousing, storage and support activities for transportation1,021
- 53 Postal and courier activities175
- 55 Accommodation896
- 56 Food and beverage service activities8,664
- 58 Publishing activities231
- 59 Motion picture, video and television programme production, sound recording and music publishing activities290
- 60 Programming, broadcasting, news agency and other content distribution activities25
- 61 Telecommunication84
- 62 Computer programming, consultancy and related activities3,117
- 63 Computing infrastructure, data processing, hosting and other information service activities218
- 64 Financial service activities, except insurance and pension funding2,369
- 65 Insurance, reinsurance and pension funding, except compulsory social security31
- 66 Activities auxiliary to financial services and insurance activities1,957
- 68 Real estate activities2,915
- 69 Legal and accounting activities3,058
- 70 Activities of head offices and management consultancy2,567
- 71 Architectural and engineering activities; technical testing and analysis1,838
- 72 Scientific research and development176
- 73 Activities of advertising, market research and public relations813
- 74 Other professional, scientific and technical activities314
- 75 Veterinary activities326
- 77 Rental and leasing activities509
- 78 Employment activities422
- 79 Travel agency, tour operator and other reservation service and related activities270
- 80 Investigation and security activities78
- 81 Services to buildings and landscape activities1,730
- 82 Office administrative, office support and other business support activities776
- 84 Public administration and defence; compulsory social security39
- 85 Education549
- 86 Human health activities3,160
- 87 Residential care activities516
- 88 Social work activities without accommodation763
- 90 Arts creation and performing arts activities306
- 91 Libraries, archives, museums and other cultural activities57
- 92 Gambling and betting activities56
- 93 Sports activities and amusement and recreation activities854
- 94 Activities of membership organisations282
- 95 Repair and maintenance of computers, personal and household goods, and motor vehicles and motorcycles984
- 96 Personal service activities1,624
Municipalities with the most companies in the sector · Flanders
- 9000 Ghent96
- 8800 Roeselare (Beveren, Oekene, Rumbeke)53
- 8400 Ostend (Stene, Zandvoorde)43
- 8000 Bruges (Koolkerke)38
- 9160 Lokeren (Daknam, Eksaarde)38
- 2000 Antwerp37
- 2800 Mechelen (Walem)35
- 9800 Deinze (Astene, Bachte-Maria-Leerne, Gottem, …)35
- 2018 Antwerp33
- 9100 Sint-Niklaas (Nieuwkerken-Waas)33
- 9140 Temse (Elversele, Steendorp, Tielrode)31
- 9200 Dendermonde (Appels, Baasrode, Grembergen, …)30
Frequently asked questions
Which is the largest employer in Manufacture of food products in Flanders?
Among companies, Puratos, with 1,452.7 full-time equivalents reported (financial year 2025).
Are all the jobs located in the area?
Not necessarily: headcount is reported by the company for all its sites, and the company is ranked by the address of its registered office. 2,131 out of 3,334 companies in the sector report employees there.
Why does this ranking differ from other lists?
It uses each company's annual accounts as filed with the National Bank, not consolidated group accounts. A holding, a subsidiary or a purchasing entity can therefore appear separately. Only companies whose latest accounts are less than 3 years old are ranked.
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Active companies (legal entities) that have filed at least one set of annual accounts, based on the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises and the National Bank of Belgium. The sector is the main activity in the register; the municipality is that of the registered office. Data updated on 14 Nov 2026.