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Global food ingredient manufacturer Cargill has completed a series of infrastructure expansions in Belgium, investing approximately 56 million euros (approximately £47.6 million) to scale up its processing and research capabilities.

The capital allocation spans three key sites in Izegem, Mouscron, and Vilvoorde. The program is designed to meet growing commercial demand for edible oils, premium chocolate, and technical research, positioning Belgium as a central hub within Cargill's broader European supply network.

The investment comes amid a broader push by multinational ingredient providers to secure supply chains and accelerate product development timelines close to key Western European customer bases.

Edible Oils Capacity Growth at Izegem

At its Izegem facility, Cargill’s largest edible oil bottling plant in Europe, the company has completed a 21 million euro expansion.

Over a 12-month period, Cargill restructured approximately 60% of the site's footprint. The project focused on automation upgrades, efficiency improvements, and supply reliability to position the plant as a primary foodservice hub.

The upgrades at the Izegem facility include:

• Capacity Expansion: Nearly doubling the plant's overall bottling capacity to support high-volume regional supply.

• Dedicated Production Lines: The commissioning of two new specialised foodservice production lines to improve manufacturing flexibility.

• Automation Integration: Implementing advanced processing technology to streamline packaging and distribution logistics.

Gourmet Chocolate Production in Mouscron

In Mouscron, Cargill has completed a 30 million euro expansion at its gourmet chocolate manufacturing facility.

The project added 10,500 square metres of production space, nearly doubling the facility's overall output capability. According to plant leadership, the expanded footprint will help the company manage seasonal volume spikes, shorten lead times, and deliver highly tailored formulations to its customer base.

The scaled-up facility will focus on manufacturing Cargill's premium chocolate portfolio, alongside supporting regional food sectors:

🍫 Veliche Couverture Chocolate – Cargill's premium chocolate range is designed for specialised confectionery applications.

🧑‍🍳 Artisanal Foodservice – High-quality chocolate supplies tailored for pastry chefs, chocolatiers, and restaurants.

🏭 Industrial Food Manufacturing – High-volume chocolate formulations developed for large-scale bakery and sweet treats manufacturers.

Advanced Food Technology and Extrusion in Vilvoorde

To complement its expanded production capabilities, Cargill has also strengthened its European research and development infrastructure with a 5.4 million euro investment at its Vilvoorde Innovation Center.

The funding has been used to establish a new extrusion pilot plant. The specialised facility is equipped to support rapid prototyping, ingredient functionality trials, and co-development projects with industrial partners.

The Vilvoorde pilot plant will serve three distinct sectors:

• Food Processing: Testing new plant-based proteins, texture modifiers, and functional ingredients for human nutrition.

• Animal Feed: Developing and validating specialised ingredients to improve livestock feed efficiency.

• Pet Food: Prototyping premium and functional formulations for the pet nutrition market.

This project builds on a previously completed 45 million euro investment at the Vilvoorde site, further consolidating Cargill's regional R&D assets.

Regional Positioning

According to Geert Maesmans, Vice President of R&D for Cargill’s Food business in EMEA and country lead for Belgium, the region remains a key strategic hub due to its advanced logistics infrastructure and close proximity to major Western European food manufacturers.

Cargill has maintained an operational footprint in Belgium since 1953. The company currently employs more than 1,500 people across nine locations, covering manufacturing, research, and corporate coordination functions.

The completion of the Izegem, Mouscron, and Vilvoorde expansions secures the company's regional processing capabilities as it seeks to drive long-term, sustainable growth across the wider EMEA region.