ABOUT

Founded in 1900 by the Dutch Doeleman family and still headquartered in Zierikzee (The Netherlands), Zeelandia has become a global player in the bakery ingredients business. Today, 3,200 employees worldwide are dedicated to develop products tailored to local tastes and needs – with operations in over 30 countries and sales in about 100 countries. Zeelandia was awarded with the Dutch ‘Royal’ predicate in 1950.  

Two operating companies are incorporated in the Royal Zeelandia Group. The Dutch activities are concentrated in Zeelandia H.J. Doeleman b.v. and the foreign activities in Zeelandia International b.v. 

Together with our customers, we are always looking for new opportunities in the world of bread and pastries. By thinking differently, we offer inventive solutions to make bakers more successful. We inspire our customers with high-quality ingredients and ways to bake, manage and sell better.

At Zeelandia we recognize corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a crucial fundament and principle for the sustainable future of our company, stakeholders and environment. As a family-owned business with strong roots in the communities in which we operate, we have always had a strong sense of responsibility for our people, our suppliers, customers, our communities, and for our natural environment. Corporate Social Responsibility is strongly embedded in our values and business practices.

It’s our ambition to initiate and further intensify the dialogue with customers, consumers, suppliers, employees and other stakeholders on how Zeelandia can play its part in this field. Based on extensive stakeholder research, we identified four CSR areas in which we believe we can have the most meaningful impact:

• Better for consumers (safe and healthy products)
• Better for employees (health, safety and professional growth)
• Clean energy
• Zero waste

We are constantly searching for new opportunities and new ingredients to improve products and processes. Exploring has been in the DNA of Zeelandia for over a century. We never stop wondering.

We never forget what is important to our customers. Together with bakeries we take on the challenge to create tomorrows bakery success. We take responsibility for our staff, our clients and our communities. 

We keep exploring. Thinking differently. And above all, going the extra mile. It is our mentality. The driving force behind everything we do.

OUR MAIN INNOVATION GOALS

As a global business with multiple categories, Zeelandia’s portfolio is wide. global food platforms.

• Clean label. Replacing E-numbers with natural compounds. For example for the preservation of packed-bread calciumpropionate is often used. Possibly there are natural preservatives that could replace propionate and preserve the bread.
• Vegan- plantbased ingredients. Zeelandia is aiming to offer vegan alternatives for all of the current products in its portfolio. Any non-animal derived ingredients have an effect comparable to an animal-dreived (emulsifying, texturizing, etc) could be of interest
• Reducing waste-streams. Any ingredient derived from using a waste-stream with an effect in the bakery application could be of interest.
• Sugar replacement. Any new ingredients allowing to reduce sugar without compromising taste and textural properties are welcomed.
• Health-enhancing ingredients. Any new protein source, fibers, or health-enhacing ingredient could be interesting for Zeelandia to include in its products.
• IT based solutions. IT-based toos (apps, SM tools, etc) that could strengthen the communication of acquisition of market-customer data are welcomed.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER STARTUPS, SCALE-UPS AND SME'S

With its global customer network and large scale application knowledge in bread and pastry Zeelandia can offer following to start-ups / scale-ups and SME’s

• ‘Real-life’ assessment (quality and cost-in-use) of the innovate product/ingredients in various relevant bread- and pastry applications. With the in-depth application knowledge our experts and bread/pastry demochefs often can co-create new recipes in which the innovative ingredient is included.
• Test-marketing / market introduction. Following a successful ‘real life’ assessment (previous section) Zeelandia can identify lead-customers (bread of pastry bakeries) that are willing to test the developed new product in their production processes. When successful, the innovative product can be included in Zeelandia mixes or sold parallel to the Zeelandia products.
• Commercial development. Zeelandia is market-leader in several EU countries. The innovative ingredient could be sold via the Zeelandia route to market.
• Financing / participation in the company. Depending on the development stage of the company and type of ingredient / technology Zeelandia could be involved in the further development of the company by taking a minority or majority share in the company.

See partner's website here.