Burggraaf & Partners

What Burggraaf & Partners does

Burggraaf & Partners B.V. is a privately held Dutch engineering consultancy founded in 1993 and headquartered in 't Harde, Netherlands. The firm specializes in hygienic design consulting and training for the food, feed, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries, with its core practice rooted in helping clients prevent product contamination and meet regulatory standards such as EHEDG, EU food hygiene regulations, BRC, and IFS. The company is led by founder Ir. W.N.A. (Wouter) Burggraaf, who was instrumental in establishing the foundational principles later formalized as EHEDG international standards, supported by a four-person core team covering materials science (Peter Visser), conceptual design and 3D CAD (Lars Burggraaf), and CIP cleaning/microbiology (Frans Majoor, with 40 years of Unilever experience).

The firm operates a portfolio of eight continuously updated open-enrollment training courses ranging from a one-day introductory hygienic design primer to the flagship four-day EHEDG Advanced Course on Hygienic Design priced at Euro 2,495 ex VAT, with venues across the Netherlands (Utrecht, Amsterdam). Beyond training, Burggraaf & Partners delivers professional services including in-house customized courses, root cause analysis and hygiene scans using 360-degree camera digital twin technology, concept and basic engineering for new production lines, design assessment against regulations, cleaning validation, materials consulting, and bespoke engineering handbooks. Notable patented technology includes a hygienic cabling system developed by Lars Burggraaf.

Revenue is generated entirely through professional services — open enrollment course fees, customized in-house training programs, and project-based consulting engagements — sold via direct B2B engagement with food producers, machine builders, and engineering offices primarily in the Netherlands and select international clients. The firm counts FrieslandCampina, Döhler, Peka Kroef, Wheyco, and Ammeraal Beltech among its named enterprise customers, and has trained over 5,000 engineers since inception across 200+ food producers and 170+ machine builders. Distribution is direct with no resellers, and growth relies on continued regulatory tailwinds in food safety and the firm's credentialed status as EHEDG Authorized Trainers.

Name

Burggraaf & Partners

Legal name

Burggraaf & Partners B.V.

Website

https://burggraaf.cc

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Burggraaf & Partners is a Dutch engineering consultancy founded in 1993 that provides hygienic design training and consulting services to food, feed, pharma, and cosmetics companies, led by EHEDG Authorized Trainers and serving machine builders and food producers across the Netherlands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hygienic Engineering Consulting

NAICS

Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDABAKAN

Audit, Inspection & Quality Compliance (Internal Auditing, CAPA)

Education/Corporate Training & Professional Development/Operations, Quality & Lean/Six Sigma Training

SECONDARYAFALANAF

Training & Competency Programs (Food Safety, HACCP, PCQI, Internal Auditor)

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Safety, Testing & Certification/Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS)

Keywords

• Hygienic design consultancy
• Food safety training
• EHEDG training courses
• Cleaning validation services
• Pharma engineering consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

't Harde

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Training Courses: Open enrollment and in-house training courses on hygienic design principles, covering topics such as CIP cleaning, transport systems, zoning, dry processes, and maintenance. Revenue generated through course fees.
2. Consulting and Advisory Services: Design assessment, root cause analysis, hygiene scans, concept/basic engineering, cleaning validation, materials consulting, and engineering handbook development services provided to food, feed, pharma and cosmetics companies.
3. Engineering Handbooks: Custom engineering handbook development bundling process knowledge and design rules for efficient design of new production facilities or expansions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Burggraaf & Partners provides specialized engineering consultancy and training in hygienic design for the food, feed, pharma, and cosmetics industries. The firm delivers 8 open-enrollment courses (1 to 4 days) covering hygienic design principles, EHEDG Advanced certification, zoning and buildings, CIP cleaning, dry processes, transport systems, and maintenance. It also offers bespoke consulting services including root cause analysis and hygiene scans (using digital twin technology), concept/basic engineering, design assessment, cleaning validation, customized in-house training, engineering handbook development, and materials consulting.

Product overview

Burggraaf & Partners is an independent engineering and consulting firm specializing in Hygienic Design for the food, feed, pharma, and cosmetics industries. The company offers a portfolio of 8 open training courses covering hygienic design principles, advanced EHEDG certification, zoning and building requirements, CIP and cleaning techniques, dry processes, transport systems, and maintenance. In addition to training, they provide consulting services including in-house courses, root cause analysis/hygiene scans, concept/basic engineering, design assessment, cleaning validation, engineering handbooks, and materials consulting. The courses range from 1-day introductory sessions to 4-day advanced programs, with some available in Dutch and English.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hygiënisch ontwerpen - principes (Hygienic Design - Principles) A 1-day introductory course providing an overview of the critical points of a production line for safe food production, covering regulations, risk analysis, basic hygienic design, cleaning, and hygienic buildings.
• Hygiënisch ontwerpen (Hygienic Design) A comprehensive 3-day course covering all relevant topics for safe food production with equipment or production lines, covering regulations, risk analysis, materials, welding, seals, tanks, transport systems, and process control.
• EHEDG Advanced Course on Hygienic Design A 4-day intensive course providing knowledge and insight into the hygienic design of equipment and processes for the food, feed, and pharmaceutical industry, covering design constraints, microbiology, materials, welding, valves, cleaning, and thermal treatment. Priced at €2,495 ex. VAT, with €200 reduction per employee for EHEDG member companies.
• Zonering en gebouw (Zoning and Building) A 2-day course covering the hygienic requirements for buildings where food, feed, or pharma production takes place, focusing on how zoning helps achieve listeria-free production.
• CIP en Innovatieve reinigingstechnieken (CIP and Innovative Cleaning Techniques) A 2-day course on Cleaning in Place systems and new automatic cleaning technologies for producers and machine builders in Food, Feed, and Pharma, covering robot-CIP and open system cleaning.
• Droge processen (Dry Processes) A 1-day course covering zoning, dry-wet separation, and specific hygienic design rules for dry processes, based on EHEDG Working Group Dry Processes guidelines.
• Transportsystemen (Transport Systems) A 1-day course discussing critical points of conveyor belts including direct/indirect product contact surfaces, accessibility, cabling, and frame construction.
• Hygiënisch onderhoud (Hygienic Maintenance) A 1-day course teaching maintenance technicians how to maintain hygiene levels, recognize non-hygienic situations, and perform small improvements in hygienic design.
• In-house Cursussen (In-house Courses) Customized in-house training courses adapted to specific content and cases applicable to the client's situation, covering closed production, dry processes, open processes, cleaning, buildings, and maintenance.
• Root Cause Analyse / Hygiene Scans Analysis services to identify flaws in equipment design that may lead to cross-contamination and potential recalls, using 360-degree cameras and advanced software to create digital twins of production lines.
• Concept / Basic Engineering Advisory services for new production lines with hygienic requirements, covering machine selection, process steps, killing methods, air flow determination, and development of basic designs.
• Ontwerp Beoordeling (Design Assessment) Design review services to check whether components meet regulations and state-of-the-art hygienic design standards, with 3D drawing and printing capabilities.
• Cleaning Validation Validation services for cleaning procedures using chemical level checks for closed equipment and food-safe dyes with UV light for open equipment.
• Engineering Handboeken (Engineering Handbooks) Development of comprehensive engineering handbooks that bundle process knowledge and design rules for efficient design of new production facilities or expansions.
• Materialen (Materials) Consulting on materials in contact with food, covering legal requirements, testing methods, and documentation for clear supplier agreements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 food producers and 170 machine builders have completed training courses
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Safe Food FactoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBurggraaf & Partners serves as an Ambassador for Safe Food Factory, an organization focused on hygienic food production standards and practices.
• OOM (Opleidings- en Ontwikkelingsfonds Metaal)minorOthersCompanies affiliated with OOM may qualify for cost subsidies when participating in Burggraaf & Partners training courses.
• EHEDG (European Hygienic Engineering & Design Group)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBurggraaf & Partners trainers W.N.A. Burggraaf and R. Cocker are both members of EHEDG and EHEDG Authorised Trainers. The company is an EHEDG Company Member and delivers the official EHEDG Advanced Course on Hygienic Design.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Tetra Pak: Global food processing and packaging solutions provider, especially in dairy and beverages. Targets the same food-producer customers for hygienic processing expertise and equipment.
• SPX Flow: Supplier of process equipment for food, beverage, and industrial hygiene applications. Overlaps with Burggraaf's hygienic design and CIP cleaning focus areas.
• Ecolab: Global leader in water, hygiene, and infection prevention, including food and beverage cleaning and sanitation programs. Comparable around CIP, sanitation, and hygienic processing expertise Burggraaf teaches.
• GEA Group: Global manufacturer of food processing equipment and related engineering services. Competes with Burggraaf on the machine-builder side as a broad incumbent that can bundle hygienic design support with hardware sales.
• Alfa Laval: Major supplier of heat transfer, separation, and hygienic fluid handling equipment for food, dairy, and pharma. Operates a hygienic equipment portfolio that overlaps with Burggraaf's machine-builder and food-producer segments.
• Krones: Global provider of beverage and food processing and packaging technology. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering engineering support to beverage/food producers that Burggraaf also serves.

Direct peers

• AIB International: US-based food safety training, auditing, and consulting organization serving food manufacturers. Closely analogous as a specialized training-plus-consulting peer in food safety and hygiene.
• BRCGS (BRC Global Standards): Global food safety standards body offering certification, training, and technical support to food producers and their suppliers. Competes for the same food-safety training and compliance budget Burggraaf targets.

Others

• European Hygienic Engineering & Design Group (EHEDG): The international standards body for hygienic engineering in food processing; Burggraaf is an EHEDG Company Member and Authorized Trainer. EHEDG is the ecosystem anchor for the firm's training and consulting category.

Emerging players

• Hyfoma: Online knowledge platform for hygienic design and food processing (former employer of team member Peter Visser). Adjacent competitor in hygienic design knowledge dissemination and training content distribution.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Burggraaf & Partners