The Netherlands is one of Europe’s most important private label manufacturing hubs, supplying supermarket chains across the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, the UK and Scandinavia. Dutch manufacturers produce a wide range of private label products including beverages, meat, poultry, ready meals, bakery products, canned vegetables, snacks and plant-based foods for major retailers.
Private label plays a major role in the Dutch grocery market, and many Dutch manufacturers are export-focused, producing for multiple European retail chains rather than only for the domestic market. Because of this, several of Europe’s largest private label producers are headquartered or operate major production facilities in the Netherlands.
This ranking lists the top 10 private label manufacturers in the Netherlands based on company scale, private label production, supermarket supply and European retail presence. Revenue and employee figures are included where publicly available.
What is a private label manufacturer?
A private label manufacturer produces products that are sold under a retailer’s brand name rather than the manufacturer’s own brand. In the supermarket industry, this includes products sold under brands such as Albert Heijn, Jumbo, Lidl, Aldi and the Superunie retail network.
Superunie is not a single supermarket chain but a purchasing organisation that represents several independent supermarket chains in the Netherlands, including Plus, Coop and Spar. Private label manufacturers often supply products to these purchasing organisations, which then distribute the products across multiple retail chains.
Private label manufacturers are a key part of the supermarket supply chain because retailers rely on manufacturing partners for large-scale production, pricing control and consistent product quality across multiple categories.
Top 10 Private Label Manufacturers in the Netherlands (2026)
| Rank | Company | Revenue | Employees | Main Private Label Categories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Refresco | ~€8B+ | ~14,000 | Soft drinks, juices, beverages |
| 2 | Vion Food Group | ~€5B | ~12,000 | Meat, fresh & processed |
| 3 | Plukon Food Group | ~€3.5B | ~9,000 | Poultry, ready meals, alternative proteins |
| 4 | Zwanenberg Food Group | ~€600–700M | ~1,800 | Meat, canned food, ready meals |
| 5 | Coroos | ~€300M | ~600 | Canned vegetables, fruit |
| 6 | Continental Bakeries (Biscuit International) | ~€500M+ | ~2,000 | Biscuits, crispbread, breakfast products |
| 7 | Compaxo | Not publicly disclosed | ~700 | Meat products |
| 8 | SanoRice | ~€150M (est.) | ~250 | Rice cakes, snacks |
| 9 | Schouten Food | Not publicly disclosed | ~200 | Plant-based products |
| 10 | Aarts Conserven | Not publicly disclosed | ~150 | Canned vegetables, legumes |
Refresco
Refresco is the largest private label beverage manufacturer in Europe and one of the largest beverage contract manufacturers in the world. The company produces soft drinks, juices, energy drinks and bottled water for retailers and beverage brands.
The company operates production sites across Europe and North America and supplies retailers in multiple markets. A significant share of supermarket own-brand beverages in Europe is produced by companies like Refresco, making it one of the most important private label beverage suppliers in the European retail supply chain.
Vion Food Group
Vion Food Group is one of Europe’s largest meat processors and a major supplier of private label meat products to supermarkets. The company supplies fresh pork, beef and processed meat products to retail chains across the Netherlands and Germany.
Vion’s retail division focuses specifically on supermarket customers, producing packaged meat and ready-to-cook products sold under retailer brands. Meat remains one of the largest private label categories in European supermarkets, which makes Vion one of the most important suppliers in the region.
Plukon Food Group
Plukon Food Group is a major poultry and ready meal producer supplying European supermarkets. A large part of its production is sold under private label through retail chains across multiple countries.
In recent years, Plukon has also invested in alternative proteins and plant-based products, reflecting changing consumer demand and the growth of plant-based private label ranges in European supermarkets. This has expanded the company’s role beyond poultry into the broader protein category.
Zwanenberg Food Group
Zwanenberg Food Group produces meat products, canned food, soups, sauces and ready meals for retail and foodservice markets. The company strengthened its private label convenience food business through the acquisition of Struik Foods Europe, expanding its position in soups and ready meals.
Zwanenberg supplies retailers across Europe and North America and is one of the Netherlands’ major private label producers in canned and convenience food categories.
Coroos
Coroos is one of the largest producers of canned vegetables, fruit and pulses in the Netherlands and focuses heavily on private label production. The company supplies supermarkets and foodservice companies across Europe.
Shelf-stable food such as canned vegetables and fruit remains an important private label category for supermarkets due to long shelf life, stable demand and strong price positioning compared to branded products.
Continental Bakeries (Biscuit International)
Continental Bakeries, now part of Biscuit International, is a major European producer of biscuits, crispbread and breakfast products. Much of its production is private label for supermarket retailers across Europe.
Bakery products, biscuits and breakfast items are large private label categories in European supermarkets, and Continental Bakeries is one of the largest suppliers in this segment.
Compaxo
Compaxo is a Dutch meat processing company supplying cooked meats, sliced meats and meat preparations to supermarkets and foodservice customers. The company produces private label meat products for retail and is part of the Dutch supermarket meat supply chain.
Private label sliced meat and packaged meat products are core supermarket categories, making companies like Compaxo important suppliers to the retail sector.
SanoRice
SanoRice is the world’s largest private label producer of rice cakes and multigrain cakes. The company produces mainly private label products and exports to many international retail markets.
Healthy snacks and rice cakes are a strong private label category in Europe, and SanoRice is a category specialist supplying a large number of retailers across multiple countries.
Schouten Food
Schouten Food produces plant-based meat alternatives and vegetarian products, much of which is produced for private label retail. Plant-based private label products have grown quickly in European supermarkets as retailers expand vegetarian and vegan product ranges.
Manufacturers like Schouten play an important role in this fast-growing private label category.
Aarts Conserven
Aarts Conserven produces canned vegetables, legumes and ready-to-eat shelf-stable products. The company supplies private label canned food to supermarkets and foodservice companies and operates in the shelf-stable food segment.
Although smaller than companies like Coroos, Aarts Conserven is a known private label supplier and part of the Dutch canned food production sector.
Why the Netherlands is a Private Label Manufacturing Hub
The Netherlands has become a major private label production hub because of its strong agricultural base, large food processing industry and advanced logistics network. Dutch factories can supply supermarkets across Europe quickly and efficiently through major ports and distribution networks.
Many Dutch manufacturers are export-focused and produce for retailers in multiple countries. This export structure has helped Dutch private label manufacturers grow into large international suppliers and become key partners for European supermarket chains.
Private label is expected to continue growing across Europe as supermarkets expand their own-brand ranges and invest in price-competitive product lines across multiple categories.
Conclusion
The Dutch private label manufacturing sector includes some of the largest food production companies in Europe as well as specialised manufacturers focused on specific product categories. Companies such as Refresco, Vion, Plukon and Zwanenberg operate at large industrial scale, while companies such as SanoRice, Schouten and Coroos operate as category specialists serving the growing private label market in Europe.
Together, these companies form a critical part of the European supermarket supply chain, producing private label food and beverages sold across major retail markets and supplying many of the supermarkets in the Netherlands and wider European retail networks. As private label continues to grow across Europe, Dutch manufacturers are expected to remain key production partners for retailers expanding their own-brand product ranges.
Editor’s Note: This article is based on publicly available company information, annual reports, company websites and industry data related to private label food manufacturing in the Netherlands and Europe. Revenue figures are approximate where companies are privately owned and do not publish full financial results. The ranking is based on company scale, private label production activity, category importance and supply to European supermarket chains. The list focuses on manufacturers producing private label food and beverage products for retail rather than brand-only manufacturers.
