NSF, Euro Consultants Group merger to benefit EMEA market

NSF International, a global organization with over 70 years of experience in food safety auditing, training and consulting, has acquired Belgium-based Euro Consultants Group (ECG), a leading food safety and quality service company. 

The merger 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. 

The organization will be called NSF Euro Consultants and forms part of the NSF International Global Food Division's Consulting and Technical Services group, which is led by Managing Director Serban Teodoresco. Even with the consolidation the founder and ECG President Jean-Jacques Adam and ECG CEO Philippe Pierco remain in their roles.

(Photo: Industrial kitchen Dreamstime.com)

Together, NSF International and NSF Euro Consultants provide global services including:

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.

Supply chain food safety – NSF and ECG can deliver food safety certification services anywhere in the world for companies 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.

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.

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.

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.