Food Technology Services (FTS)
Food Technology Services (FTS) is a Dutch network organisation of independent food technology consultants, based in Wageningen, that provides project-based services to the global food industry across food safety, new product development, process engineering, and factory design. FTS was co-founded by Wouter de Heij and partners. The organisation works with a flexible pool of specialists drawn from complementary disciplines — engineering, food science, food safety, consumer research, and international business development — and takes on both small-scale assignments and large multi-disciplinary projects. FTS has also developed a proprietary software ecosystem of browser-based tools for process design, cost modelling, warehouse dimensioning, and environmental analysis.
Organisation profile
| Name | Food Technology Services (FTS) |
| Address | Agro Business Park 10, 6708 PW Wageningen, Netherlands |
| Type | Network organisation / consortium of independent consultants |
| Co-founder | Wouter de Heij |
| Phone | +31 (317) 23 42 77 |
| Website | foodtechnologyservices.nl |
Background and structure
FTS operates as a network organisation: a coordinating entity that brings together independent consultants and specialist firms on a project basis, rather than a conventional consultancy with a fixed staff roster. Each partner in the network contributes a distinct technical or commercial specialism, allowing FTS to assemble project teams that match the specific requirements of an assignment — from a focused food safety review to a full Greenfield factory design.
The organisation is based at Agro Business Park 10 in Wageningen — the same campus that hosts BOX N.V. (Blue Ocean Xlerator) and PhytoNext B.V. — placing it at the heart of the Food Valley agri-food knowledge cluster. Wouter de Heij, co-founder of FTS, is also the founder of Food4Innovations and a co-founder of TOP b.v..
Services
FTS covers three principal service domains:
Food safety
- Food safety risk analyses and HACCP implementation
- Process validation and microbial risk assessment
- Compliance with food safety legislation and hygiene codes
- Allergen management and contaminant assessment
New Product Development (NPD)
- Product concept development and reformulation
- Application of novel preservation technologies, including High Pressure Processing (HPP) and Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP)
- Plant-based protein structuring for meat and fish analogues
- Scale-up from laboratory to industrial production
Process and factory engineering
FTS specialises in the design of food production facilities at two project scales:
| Project type | Description |
|---|---|
| Greenfield | Design of a new food factory from the ground up: process concept, factory layout, hygienic design, P&ID, equipment selection, Bill of Materials, CIP planning, CAPEX estimation |
| Brownfield | Modification, extension, or optimisation of an existing production facility |
Engineering disciplines deployed include process technology, hygienic design and stainless steel process integration, piping and instrumentation, 3D factory layout modelling (AutoCAD), equipment selection, and utility planning (steam, cooling water, electricity, compressed air).
FTS’s strategic orientation emphasises all-natural, non-GMO products with minimal additives, using novel processing technologies aligned with clean-label trends and sustainability objectives.
Natural Processing Solutions (NPS)
FTS participates in a consortium called Natural Processing Solutions (NPS), which combines the capabilities of three Wageningen-based organisations:
| Partner | Role in NPS |
|---|---|
| Food Technology Services (FTS) | Hygienic design and stainless steel process integration |
| Food4Innovations | Innovation management and technology validation |
| TOP b.v. | Scale-up of novel food technologies from lab to industrial scale |
The NPS consortium offers integrated project delivery for food manufacturers seeking to develop and industrialise products based on novel processing technologies — covering the full range from technology validation through factory design and commercial scale-up.
External partners
FTS works intensively with a number of external organisations:
| Partner | Domain |
|---|---|
| TOP b.v. | Food process technology; scale-up |
| Food4Innovations | Innovation management |
| NIZO (Ede) | Dairy and food science research |
| ILVO — Food Pilot (Belgium) | Applied food technology research and pilot scale processing |
Software ecosystem
FTS has developed a proprietary suite of browser-based software tools for food industry professionals, covering process simulation, cost modelling, warehouse dimensioning, and environmental analysis. The tools are designed for use in feasibility studies, business case development, and factory design projects.
FlowBite — process simulator
FlowBite is a browser-based process simulator for the food industry. Users build flowsheets, calculate mass and energy balances, validate microbial safety parameters, and export professional results.
| Capability | Detail |
|---|---|
| Unit operations | 15 standard operations (mixers, splitters, heaters, coolers, heat exchangers, evaporators, spray dryers, pasteurisers, pumps, separators, sterilisers/UHT, homogenisers, fluid bed dryers, tanks) |
| Thermodynamics | CoolProp integration for steam, water, and energy property calculations |
| Microbial safety | Thermal inactivation models with D-value and Z-value calculations |
| Visualisation | Sankey diagrams for flow and energy analysis |
| Utilities | Steam, cooling water, and electricity tracking per unit operation |
| Export | JSON and CSV; cloud save |
Related tools within the FlowBite ecosystem:
- BioFlow (v1.6) — bioprocess simulator with 32 unit operations and Monod kinetics for fermentation modelling
- PackBite (v1.9) — packaging line designer with 22 machine types and OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) analysis
CostStack / CostBite — business case platform
CostStack is a food manufacturing economics platform. Its core application, CostBite, supports feasibility studies and business case development for food factory projects in seven structured steps. CostStack is positioned as a companion tool to FlowBite, using process design outputs as inputs to economic modelling.
Warehouse Suite
The Warehouse Suite comprises three integrated tools for warehouse and logistics design:
| Tool | Function |
|---|---|
| StoreBite | Connects retail shelf directly to production line; models store networks, delivery frequencies, crate fills, pallet counts, and vehicle capacity requirements; translates sales forecasts into production throughput metrics |
| WareBite | Dimensions warehouse space from deep-freeze zones to loading docks; 12-step workflow; drag-and-drop canvas for factory layout; compares storage systems (e.g. drive-in racking vs. mobile racking); side-by-side CAPEX and footprint analysis; Monte Carlo simulations for risk quantification |
| UtilityBite | Calculates thermal loads, electricity usage, and heating requirements from WareBite data; breakdown of cooling, steam, compressed air, and hot water demands; CAPEX, OPEX, and CO₂ emission forecasts; boiler sizing and heat pump ROI calculations |
Additional suites
| Suite | Function |
|---|---|
| Food Safety Suite | Risk assessment, process validation, compliance |
| The Processing Suite | Process design and optimisation |
| The Nature Suite | Emissions, deposition, and nature quality analysis |
| The Emission Suite | Nitrogen and greenhouse gas emissions quantification |
| The Water Suite | Water quality assessment, monitoring data, spatial mapping |
The environmental and emissions suites reflect FTS’s involvement in broader sustainability and environmental knowledge platforms, including stikstofinfo.net, klimaatfeiten.net, and waterkennis.net — sister platforms of Food4Innovations.