Profel (european Association Of Fruit And Vegetable Processors)

What Profel (european Association Of Fruit And Vegetable Processors) does

PROFEL is the European Association of Fruit and Vegetable Processing Industries, a Brussels-based non-profit trade association founded in 1959 alongside the European Economic Community. It represents approximately 400 companies across 12 European countries, organized through 14 national member associations and 7 direct corporate members that collectively employ more than 80,000 people and generate around €22 billion in combined turnover. The association covers six processed product categories: frozen vegetables (3.3 million tonnes), canned vegetables (2.1 million tonnes), canned deciduous fruit and compotes (1 million tonnes), fruit preserves and jams (485,000 tonnes), dried vegetables (55,000 tonnes), and frozen fruit, within a wider European processed F&V market valued at €47 billion.

PROFEL's core 'products' are membership-based services: EU-level policy representation on agricultural, trade, regulatory and sustainability matters; annual production statistics across the covered product categories; product-group meetings (Canned Vegetables, Jam, Dried Vegetables, Deciduous Fruit, Frozen Vegetables) and General Assemblies; publications, position papers, and joint declarations with peer associations; and nutrition and sustainability advocacy campaigns. The association holds formal seats on the EU Commission's Civil Dialog Group on Fruit and Vegetables and the Advisory Group on Sustainable Food Systems, and is a member of FoodDrinkEurope, CIUS, and Close the Glass Loop. Recent activity centers on opposing EU proposals for unilateral tariff-free access for US preserved products (2025-2026) and joint initiatives with Freshfel Europe on sustainability and nutrition.

The business model is a subscription/membership-dues model with two tiers (national associations and direct corporate members), supplemented by conference participation and member-only resources. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is determined by membership category and company size. PROFEL has no subsidiaries, no external funding rounds, no parent company, and is governed by a Board of Directors, a President (currently Jan Ingelbeen of Greenyard Frozen), and a Secretariat led by Secretary General Susanne Meyer with Deputy Secretary General Antoine Moreau and Scientific and Regulatory Affairs Manager Sabina Mirauta. The association does not develop proprietary technology and its competitive position rests on regulatory access, sectoral data, and convening power rather than on a product or technology platform.

Name

Profel (european Association Of Fruit And Vegetable Processors)

Legal name

PROFEL - European Association of Fruit and Vegetable Processing Industries

Website

https://profel-europe.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PROFEL is the Brussels-based European trade association for fruit and vegetable processors, representing roughly 400 companies across 12 European countries through 14 national associations and 7 direct corporate members. It provides EU policy representation, sector statistics, and product-group coordination.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Etterbeek

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: PROFEL generates revenue through membership fees from national associations and companies in the fruit and vegetable processing industry across Europe. Membership provides access to information, policy support, networking, product group participation, conferences, and member-only resources.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

PROFEL is a European trade association that represents approximately 400 fruit and vegetable processing companies across 12 European countries through national associations and direct corporate membership. The association provides policy advocacy at EU level, monitors legislative developments, compiles annual industry statistical data across six product categories, organizes product group meetings and General Assemblies, and produces publications and position papers on nutrition, sustainability, and economic topics affecting the processed fruit and vegetable sector.

Product overview

Profel (European Association of Fruit and Vegetable Processing Industries) is a trade association representing approximately 400 companies in 12 European countries. Rather than operating a product business, the association provides membership services including policy information and support, industry representation at EU level, statistical production data compilations, product group meetings, publications, and nutrition advocacy. The association covers six product categories produced by its members: frozen vegetables (3.3 million tonnes), canned vegetables (2.1 million tonnes), canned deciduous fruit and compotes (1 million tonnes), jams and fruit preserves (485,000 tonnes), and dried vegetables (55,000 tonnes).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership Services PROFEL membership providing national associations and direct corporate members with information and support on regulatory, agricultural, and trade-related policies; facilitating cooperation between European countries; and offering access to product groups, conferences, General Assemblies, and member-only statistics and studies.
• Industry Representation at EU Level Representation of the processed fruit and vegetable sector at EU level, monitoring legislative developments, coordinating technical projects and scientific research, and providing expertise to legislators and decision-makers through formal seats on EU Commission bodies including the Civil Dialog Group on Fruit and Vegetables and the Advisory Group on Sustainable Food Systems.
• Annual Statistical Production Data Annual compilation and distribution of production statistics for canned vegetables, frozen vegetables, fruit preserves, fruit puree and compotes, dried vegetables, and deciduous fruits, providing members with industry intelligence on production volumes across European countries.
• Product Group Meetings and General Assemblies Platforms organized by PROFEL for member companies and national associations to exchange information on trends in production, consumption, trade and market situation, and to identify common problems and solutions in sector-specific policy dossiers. Product groups cover canned vegetables, frozen vegetables, jams/fruit preserves, dried vegetables, and deciduous fruit.
• Publications and Position Papers Studies and position papers on economic, legislative, scientific, and technical subjects of common interest to the processed fruit and vegetable sector, including nutritional value studies and industry structure analyses such as the PROFEL Roadmap Towards Sustainable Food Systems brochure (May 2021).
• Nutrition Advocacy Program Promotion of the nutritional benefits of processed fruit and vegetables through scientific studies and communication of product advantages, including excellent micronutrient retention compared to fresh produce.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• CabinplantminorOthersPartner company providing processing equipment solutions to the fruit and vegetable processing industry. Located in Denmark.
• Silgan Closures GmBHminorOthersPartner company providing closure solutions for food packaging. Located in Germany.
• Ekopak NVminorOthersPartner company providing packaging and water solutions. Located in Belgium.
• FoodDrinkEuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU's Umbrella Organisation for the food and drinks industry. PROFEL is a member and participates in policy advocacy and industry initiatives.
• CIUS (Committee of Industrial Users of Sugar)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPROFEL is a member of CIUS, coordinating positions on sugar-related policy issues affecting fruit processing.
• Freshfel EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint declarations and conferences on fruit and vegetable sector issues. Freshfel Europe represents the fresh produce sector, creating a comprehensive voice for the entire fruit and vegetable industry.
• Close the Glass LoopminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition focused on increasing glass packaging collection rates across the EU. PROFEL joined in June 2020.
• EU Commission Civil Dialog Group on Fruit and VegetablescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal representation on the EU Commission's Civil Dialog Group providing input on fruit and vegetable policy.
• EU Commission Advisory Group on Sustainable Food SystemscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal representation on the EU Commission's Advisory Group contributing to sustainable food systems policy development.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Freshfel Europe: Freshfel Europe is the European Fresh Produce Association, representing the fresh fruit and vegetable sector. It is a direct peer to PROFEL by organizational structure (Brussels-based trade association), sector proximity (fruit and vegetables), and is explicitly identified in PROFEL's data as a strategic partner for joint declarations and conferences.
• FoodDrinkEurope: FoodDrinkEurope is the umbrella trade association for Europe's food and drink industry, of which PROFEL is a member. It is a direct peer in operating model (membership-based EU advocacy), scope (food industry representation in Brussels), and stakeholder base (national associations and corporate members engaging on EU policy).
• CIUS (Committee of Industrial Users of Sugar): CIUS is a Brussels-based association representing industrial sugar users in the EU. It is a direct peer to PROFEL in governance model (membership-driven EU policy advocacy) and is explicitly listed as a core strategic partner where PROFEL participates to coordinate positions on sugar-related policy.
• FEFAC (European Feed Manufacturers' Association): FEFAC is the European compound feed manufacturers' association, representing the EU feed industry in Brussels. It is comparable as a peer European agricultural-input trade association with a similar Brussels-based, membership-funded, EU-policy-driven operating model serving an adjacent agricultural value chain.
• AIBI (Association of the Bakery, Confectionery, and Biscuit Industries of the EU): AIBI represents European biscuit, confectionery, and bakery industries in Brussels. It is a direct peer in operating model (Brussels trade association, EU food industry representation, national member associations) and engages on overlapping policy issues including sugar, agricultural raw materials, and trade.
• European Fruit and Vegetables Trade Association (Freshfel-aligned regional bodies): Europatat is the European Potato Trade Association, based in Brussels. It is comparable as a peer EU trade association representing a specific fresh/processed commodity sector with overlapping producer membership, EU policy focus, and trade advocacy remit.
• European Cocoa Association (ECA): The European Cocoa Association represents cocoa processors, chocolate manufacturers, and traders in Brussels. It is a direct peer as a Brussels-based trade association representing a European processed agricultural commodity sector with similar policy, trade, and sustainability advocacy priorities.
• European Federation of Food and Agriculture Trade Associations (EUWEP-style bodies): Eucolait is the European Association of Dairy Trade, a Brussels-based trade association for the dairy industry. It is comparable as a peer EU food-commodity trade association, operating a similar membership and EU advocacy model for a distinct but adjacent processed agricultural sector.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/profel-europe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Profel (european Association Of Fruit And Vegetable Processors)