Why Belgium Needs an Independent R&D Agency for Food
Every day, more than 300 new food products hit the global market (Mintel). Yet so many of them feel predictable — another flavour extension, another high-protein copy, or the latest TikTok craze like candied salmon or dirty soda. Fun for the short term, but rarely the kind of innovation that lasts.
That’s no surprise. Most product development still happens within the walls of a single company, guided by one brand logic or category lens. The result? Incremental tweaks instead of true breakthroughs.
Enter Nursh: Belgium’s First R&D Agency for Food
At Nursh, we believe food innovation deserves better. Belgium now has its first independent R&D agency dedicated entirely to food — a partner for brands, ingredient pioneers and producers who want to move beyond the obvious.
Our clients range from multinationals like Spadel, who rely on us to translate fundamental R&D questions into clear, actionable steps, to culinary leaders like Dierendonck, who work with us on pioneering maturation techniques such as koji. Belgian brewers call on our external expertise to shape non-alcoholic portfolios that actually excite consumers.
Why Independence Matters
Until now, companies looking for external R&D support often turned to freelancers, labs or ingredient suppliers. But suppliers have their own agenda: selling their ingredients. Labs focus on testing, not the bigger picture. What’s been missing is an independent partner who can oversee the whole journey.
As our strategy lead Ludovic Depoortere puts it:
“Just as you wouldn’t ask your media agency to set your brand strategy, you shouldn’t let an ingredient supplier dictate your product development. Independence is crucial.”
Putting R&D at the Table
Another challenge is structural. Too often, innovation budgets lean heavily toward marketing and sales, with R&D teams brought in only at the end. According to Séverine Distave, Nursh board member and former VP Marketing & Innovation at Alpro and Global VP Indulgence at Danone:
“Push R&D forward. Don’t just let them execute — let them think, decide and invest in what really matters.”
Inspired by International Models
The R&D agency model isn’t new. In the US, Mattson Foods has partnered for decades with global players like Nestlé, Dole and Kikkoman. In Scandinavia and Switzerland, independent R&D agencies are an established part of the innovation ecosystem. Nursh is bringing that same model to Belgium.
Emilie Decoutere, our Managing Director, explains:
“We believe innovation is only relevant when it builds bridges — between consumer and producer, between science and flavour, between today’s needs and tomorrow’s possibilities. Innovation deserves a partner who is both strategic and technical. Not just a supplier, but an ally. Not a checklist, but a sparring partner with both a lab coat and a market lens.”
From Foodlab PROEF to Nursh
Nursh grew out of Foodlab PROEF, the innovation platform founded a decade ago by biologist and food technologist Maxime Willems, now our Chief Science Officer. Backed by a new investment round and strengthened by the arrival of Emilie Decoutere and Ludovic Depoortere as shareholders, and Séverine Distave as board member, Nursh now has the team, expertise and resources to meet the growing demand for external R&D partnerships.
