Merger strengthens both
organizations’ food safety services in EMEA market
ANN ARBOR, Mich. USA and WAVRE, Belgium – NSF International,
a global organization with over 70 years of experience in food safety auditing,
training and consulting, has completed the acquisition of Euro Consultants Group (ECG), a leading food
safety and quality service company based in Wavre, Belgium.
Both NSF International and Euro Consultants Group share a
similar commitment to food safety, training, auditing and consulting, earning
them strong reputations within the food service industry. This merger with ECG
expands NSF International’s footprint throughout Europe, the Middle East and
Africa (EMEA) as well as its technical capabilities in food safety and quality,
which helps companies and institutions build and integrate effective food
safety and quality management systems throughout the global supply chain. Services offered include supply chain and
retail food safety auditing, training in food safety and hygiene regulations,
as well as in market and legal requirements, and grant-funded consulting
projects for the EU Food Safety Authority.
Clients supported through these services include major EU retailers, and
European food service and QSR sectors. ECG also helps small to medium-sized
enterprises and institutions with obtaining financing and market access for
their products.
Founder and ECG President Jean-Jacques Adam and ECG CEO
Philippe Pierco remain in their roles. The organization will now be called NSF
Euro Consultants and will become an important part of the NSF International
Global Food Division’s Consulting and Technical Services group, which is led by
Managing Director Serban Teodoresco.
ECG, founded in 1990, promotes the one-stop shopping concept
and high values of flexibility and services across Europe, Africa and the
Middle East, through 14 subsidiaries that span ten countries: Belgium, France,
Tunisia, Bulgaria, Romania, Canada, Morocco, Poland, Rwanda and Ivory Coast.
Benefit of Merger to
NSF International and NSF Euro Consultants Food Safety Clients
As a result of the merger, NSF International will have a
wider geographic footprint for its food safety consulting, auditing,
certification and training services, which are offered throughout the EMEA
region in support of regional and global food service organizations and
retailers. NSF Euro Consultants’ clients now will have access to NSF
International’s extensive range of global food safety and quality services,
which help food businesses protect their customers and their brands in every
market in which they operate. These include accredited services and technical
expertise across all supply chain sectors, including agriculture, animal feed
and welfare, produce, processing, distribution, dairy, seafood, quality
management software, retail and restaurants. Clients also will have the support
of NSF International food safety auditors and consultants who operate in more
than 160 countries.
Together, NSF International and NSF Euro Consultants provide
global services including:
1.
Food
fraud mitigation – In addition to ECG’s strong consulting expertise, NSF
helps companies identify and minimize food fraud risk throughout their complex
food supply network. NSF also provides forensic analysis and advanced testing
capabilities such as DNA identity testing and chemical analysis to create a
comprehensive, science-based approach to predicting and preventing fraud.
2.
Supply
chain food safety – Together, NSF and ECG can deliver food safety
certification services anywhere in the world, particularly to small and
medium-sized enterprises seeking compliance to Global Food Safety Initiative
(GFSI)-benchmarked standards to gain access to local or international markets.
NSF also brings innovative new technologies like TraQtion, an NSF-developed quality and
compliance software that helps retailers, restaurants and manufacturers
proactively manage their supply chain, sites and product quality all in one
place.
3.
Retail
food safety – ECG’s core competence in retail and foodservice consulting
combined with NSF’s leadership in training and commercial food equipment
certification delivers a comprehensive training, auditing and consulting
approach to food safety, particularly for multinational retail, restaurant and
catering companies requiring consistent brand protection measures across all
markets.
4.
Food
Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) – The addition of ECG’s European operations
to NSF’s global auditing capabilities allows both organizations to provide
consistent auditing and consulting services for companies producing food both
in and outside of the U.S. to verify compliance with FSMA requirements. As
Europe is a primary exporter to the United States, the food industry can count
on our geographical footprint on both sides of the Atlantic.
5.
Consumer
insights – NSF clients gain access
to ECG’s dedicated sensory analysis labs and market research team, providing
clients with market research services related to strategic positioning,
commercial potential, feasibility studies, competitive positioning, product benchmarking,
customer satisfaction surveys and market research for virtually any consumer
product category.
“We can now offer our clients services wherever they need
them,” said Jean-Jacques Adam, founder and President of Euro Consultants Group.
“This includes expanded testing, training and educational services, and
leading-edge supply chain food safety and quality management software from NSF
International’s Global Food Division. We are proud to be part of NSF
International as we believe they share our values and our passion. This merger
will greatly benefit our existing and new clients and it opens new career
development opportunities for our employees.”
“Euro Consultants Group brings new and expanded consulting,
auditing and training services to our multinational retail, food service and
restaurant customers, particularly for our clients operating throughout the
EMEA region,” said Tom Chestnut, Senior Vice President of NSF International’s
Global Food Division. “Euro Consultants Group has a robust network of
experienced consultants and has maintained a strong reputation within the food
service industry and at a broader institutional level. We appreciate the stalwart reputation,
technical expertise and operational support that they bring to NSF
International, along with their proficiency in research, training and
supervision to improve food safety and quality.”
Client seeking more information can contact Serban
Teodoresco, Global Managing Director of NSF International’s Consulting and
Technical Group, at steodorescu@nsf.org or +1-514-457-7029, or Dan Fone, Director of
Global Business Development for Food Safety, at dfone@nsf.org
or +1-734-214-6241.
Editor’s note:
For questions, please contact Kelly Ingerly, Media Manager, at media@nsf.org or +1 734-827-6850 or Candice Adam, Communications Manager for
Belgium and France, at c.adam@euroconsultants.be
or +32-496-62-08-10.
About Euro
Consultants Group www.euroconsultants-group.com/en/
Euro Consultants Group was established in 1990 in Wavre
(Belgium). ECG provides a full range of food safety, quality and consulting
services. ECG is a one-stop shop that helps to improve the efficiency and
competitiveness of a company through management consulting. ECG operates mainly
in agri-food and agro-industrial fields and is active in developing business-to-business
and business-to-institution activities with its clients. For business-to-business
activities, ECG specializes in management consulting to improve the
efficiencies for food industries, retailers and caterers. ECG is a fully
integrated partner for all stages of development and aims to optimize the
systems and processes of production, R&D, after-sales service and
marketing. Other services include counseling, advice, training, auditing,
operational assistance, laboratory investigations, complaint management and
research. ECG offers a broad range of activities in technical and development
assistance for business-to-institution activities. When working on development
projects and providing technical assistance guidance, ECG is able to rely on
its pool of internal specialist experts (e.g. vets, agricultural engineers,
MDs) in addition to over 2,000 project management teams as well and
specialists. Due to its comprehensive knowledge of both private and public
management, ECG has significant experience in seeking institutional funding for
organizations in the market. Since 2015, ECG has developed a strategic
partnership with the Belgian Bankers Academy.
About NSF
International www.nsf.org
NSF International is a global independent organization that
writes standards, and tests and certifies products for the food, water and
consumer goods industries to minimize adverse health effects and protect the
environment (nsf.org). Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting human
health and safety worldwide. NSF International is a Pan American Health
Organization/World Health Organization Collaborating Center on Food Safety,
Water Quality and Indoor Environment.
The NSF Global Food Division provides expertise and
accredited services across all supply chain sectors, including agriculture,
animal feed and welfare, produce, processing, distribution, dairy, seafood,
quality management software, retail and restaurants. Services include Global
Food Safety Initiative, foodservice equipment and nonfood compounds
certification, HACCP validation and inspection, label claims verification and
certification, DNA and food package testing, product and process development,
and organic and Certified Transitional certification through Quality Assurance
International (QAI). NSF also offers
expert auditing, consulting and training.
