What Prinsen Berning does

Prinsen Berning is a Netherlands-headquartered B2B co-manufacturer of active nutrition products, formed in 2017 through the merger of Koninklijke Prinsen B.V. (founded 1924 in the Netherlands as a pudding powder factory) and Gustav Berning GmbH & Co. KG (founded 1915 in Germany as a chocolate treat factory). The group produces protein bars and instant nutritional powders under customers' own brands for international retailers and brand owners, with finished goods reaching consumers in over 80 countries. Two specialised operating facilities underpin production: the Helmond site in the Netherlands handles powder product development, mixing, filling and packaging, while the Georgsmarienhütte facility in Germany operates large-scale high-protein bar manufacturing at a stated capacity of hundreds of millions of bars per year. The company is privately held under Bencis Capital Partners' ownership and secured additional long-term financing from Eurazeo in 2025.

The product portfolio spans nine bar technologies — single layer, double layer, crunchy, filled wave, multilayer, meal, energy, plant-based and Nutriscore A/HFSS-compliant variants — and four powder categories covering sports nutrition, weight management, targeted nutrition and better-for-you indulgence beverages. Protein content across bars ranges from roughly 9% to 50% depending on format, with customisable sizes from 35g to 100g and a broad set of flavour profiles. These capabilities are wrapped in co-manufacturing services including market and consumer insights, product development and innovation, packaging solutions, sourcing and supply-chain management, and quality and regulatory support, all structured around a proprietary six-phase SCORER collaboration framework. The group holds IFS Food, BRCGS Food Safety, Rainforest Alliance, RSPO, FSC and EcoVadis Bronze credentials, and has reduced market-based Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 92% since transitioning to green energy in 2023.

Prinsen Berning operates a contract-manufacturing revenue model in which products are made under private-label or brand-owner agreements and billed per unit on pricing that is negotiated, not publicly disclosed, against volume, formulation complexity and packaging requirements. The go-to-market motion is enterprise field sales targeting major global brands and international retailers, supplemented by event-based demand generation through trade shows such as FHA Food & Beverage in Singapore. The senior team is drawn predominantly from large FMCG operators, including prior executives of Unilever, Danone, FrieslandCampina, Mondelez, L'Oréal and Heineken. In 2025, Koninklijke Prinsen B.V. was granted the Royal Warrant by the Dutch Royal Family in recognition of its centenary, and the company is publicly committed to sustainability, quality certification and active-nutrition innovation across the European and select international markets.

Name

Prinsen Berning

Legal name

Prinsen Berning (operating as Koninklijke Prinsen B.V. and Gustav Berning GmbH & Co. KG)

Website

https://prinsenberning.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Prinsen Berning is a Netherlands-based, PE-backed B2B co-manufacturer producing premium protein bars and instant nutritional powders under private-label and brand-owner agreements for international retailers and major global brands across more than 80 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contract Food Manufacturing

NAICS

Other Food Manufacturing (3119), Food Manufacturing (311)

SIC

Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Pastry, Cakes & Tortes Manufacturing (AFAKAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Frozen prepared meals & entrées manufacturing (AFAKAHAA)

Keywords

• Private label manufacturing
• Protein bar production
• Nutritional powder manufacturing
• Co-manufacturing services
• Active nutrition products

Headquarters

HQ city

Helmond

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Contract Manufacturing - Private Label: Prinsen Berning produces protein bars and powder products under private label for international retailers and brand owners. The company manufactures for established brands and retailers globally, with products traveling worldwide.
2. Brand Owner Manufacturing: Production of products for brand owners, leveraging over 100 years of experience in protein bars and nutritional powders. The company positions itself as a one-stop-shop partner for superior tasting bars and powders.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Prinsen Berning is a B2B co-manufacturer of premium active nutrition products, producing protein bars and nutritional powders under customers' own brands for international retailers and brand owners. The company operates two production facilities — Koninklijke Prinsen B.V. in Helmond, Netherlands (powders) and Gustav Berning GmbH & Co. KG in Georgsmarienhütte, Germany (high-protein bars) — and supports customers end-to-end from concept through launch using its proprietary SCORER collaboration framework.

Product overview

Prinsen Berning is Europe's leading one-stop-shop supplier of Active Nutrition Bars & Powders, consisting of two operating companies: Koninklijke Prinsen B.V. (founded 1924, Netherlands) specializing in powdered nutritional products, and Gustav Berning GmbH & Co. KG (founded 1915, Germany) specializing in high-protein bars. The product portfolio includes nine distinct bar technologies (single layer, double layer, crunchy, filled wave, multilayer, meal, energy, plant-based, and Nutriscore/HFSS compliant bars) and four powder categories (sports nutrition, weight management, targeted nutrition, and better-for-you indulgence beverages). The company offers comprehensive co-manufacturing services including market insights, product development & innovation, packaging solutions, sourcing & supply chain management, and quality & regulatory support through their SCORER collaboration framework.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Single Layer Protein Bars Premium protein bars with a single layer of protein dough and chocolate cover. Protein content ranges from 23-50% depending on bar size and recipe. Available in sizes from 35g to 100g with various flavor options. Manufactured for private label and brand owners.
• Double Layer Protein Bars Premium protein bars featuring a chocolate cover with two layers — either two protein dough layers or protein dough combined with crunchy crisps or caramel and peanuts. Protein content varies between 10-50%. Available in sizes from 40g to 60g.
• Crunchy Protein Bars Premium protein bars with rich chocolate cover, protein dough, caramel filling, and topped with crunchy crisps. Protein content varies between 25-34%. This is the signature technology receiving highest consumer ratings.
• Filled Wave Protein Bars Protein bars with chocolate cover, protein dough, and a wave of cream or inclusion running through the centre, topped with crunchy crisps. Available in 45g and 55g sizes.
• Multilayer Protein Bars Premium protein bars with chocolate cover, multiple filling possibilities including protein dough layers, caramel layer, and crispy elements. Protein content varies between 26-28%. Available in 58g size.
• Meal Bars Balanced and nutritious meal replacement bars packed with nutrients, vitamins and minerals providing satiety. Available in chocolate-covered or uncoated cereal type options. Protein content varies between 21-35%.
• Energy Bars Bars providing quick energy boost with essential nutrients. Available in uncoated or coated double layer versions with crunchy bottom. Protein content varies between 9-13%. Source of magnesium.
• Plant Based Bars

Quantifiable outcome

• Top 35% in global EcoVadis sustainability assessment (Bronze Medal)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Wageningen UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for R&D collaboration and talent development in food science and nutrition.
• Universität OsnabrückminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for R&D collaboration and talent development in food science and nutrition.
• Maastricht UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for R&D collaboration and talent development in food science and nutrition.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Kerry Group: Kerry Group is a global taste and nutrition ingredients company with a substantial functional foods and protein bar co-manufacturing/processing capability. Both companies serve food and beverage brand owners with integrated formulation, ingredient, and finished-product development across protein and powdered beverages.
• Mars Edge: Mars Edge is the human nutrition-focused arm of Mars, Inc., producing snacks, bars, and functional foods including cocoa-flavoured protein and indulgence products. Mars Edge and Prinsen Berning both serve as co-manufacturers for brand owners in bars and indulgence-adjacent nutrition, with comparable product format expertise.
• Glanbia Performance Nutrition: Glanbia Performance Nutrition is a major global manufacturer and B2B supplier of protein and nutritional ingredients, including sports nutrition and weight management products. Both Glanbia and Prinsen Berning serve brand owners and private label customers in the active nutrition and protein category, with comparable protein powder and ready-to-drink portfolios.
• FrieslandCampina Ingredients: FrieslandCampina Ingredients supplies dairy proteins, whey, casein, and milk-derived functional ingredients into sports nutrition and weight management applications. Direct touchpoints with Prinsen Berning include shared management lineage (former FrieslandCampina executives now lead Prinsen Berning) and shared customer base in active nutrition brand owners.
• Royal dsm-firmenich: dsm-firmenich (Royal DSM merged with Firmenich) is a global nutrition, health, and bioscience major that supplies nutritional ingredients, premixes, and finished-format solutions including bars and powders. It competes with Prinsen Berning in upstream-to-finished active nutrition capabilities, especially for B2B customers seeking science-led formulation support.

Direct peers

• Clasen Quality Coatings: Clasen Quality Coatings is one of North America's largest chocolate and compound coatings co-manufacturers, providing enrobing and bar-finishing services to protein bar, nutrition, and confectionery brand owners. It is comparable to Prinsen Berning's signature single-layer, double-layer, and crunchy protein bar technologies that rely on chocolate cover and enrobing capabilities.
• Bellisio Foods: Bellisio Foods is a U.S.-based contract manufacturer best known for frozen prepared meals (Michelina's, Boston Market) and is expanding into active nutrition and protein-forward prepared formats. Both companies operate as B2B co-manufacturers of branded food categories where formulation, regulatory support, and scale manufacturing are central to the value proposition.
• SternLife Sciences GmbH: SternLife is a German private-label contract manufacturer specializing in food supplements, sports nutrition powders, and functional food products, including protein bars and ready-to-mix powders. As a fellow German/European co-manufacturer serving the same brand-owner customer base with overlapping product formats, it is the closest direct peer to Prinsen Berning's powder and bar operations.
• Premier Nutrition Company: Premier Nutrition is a U.S. private label and branded protein bar and ready-to-drink shake manufacturer serving retailers and brand owners. Directly comparable to Prinsen Berning's protein bar and powder private-label co-manufacturing model for active nutrition customers in retail channels.

Others

• Eurofins Scientific: Eurofins is a global food, feed, and pharmaceutical testing services provider supporting food manufacturers with regulatory and quality assurance testing. Adjacent infrastructure partner to co-manufacturers like Prinsen Berning that depend on third-party verified compliance (IFS Food, BRCGS) for retailer audit programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/prinsen-bv

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Prinsen Berning