Cereal power runs in the family
For over 65 years, Michiels has been turning grain into food that people can count on.
We are a Belgian family business, four generations strong, with one specialty at our core: wholegrain cereal processing.
A pioneer in cereal extrusion
Michiels was founded in 1959 in Zulte, Belgium. We started with oats. In the 1970s we began pioneering cereal extrusion in Europe: processing grain under high pressure and heat to make it edible, digestible and stable. Since then, our expertise has been built around a single idea:
get more out of every grain. From raw material selection to precise fortification and packaging, we control the full chain, in-house, under one roof.
One expertise, two worlds
That expertise reaches people in two different ways. We produce fortified cereal blends for humanitarian nutrition programs, delivered wherever they are needed most. And we develop and manufacture premium grain-based products for retailers and brands, fully tailored to their formulation, positioning and supply chain.
Different markets, same high standard. Whether a product is destined for a humanitarian program or a supermarket shelf, our customers expect the same high quality, and that is exactly what we deliver.
Four generations with cereal in our genes
Some companies change direction with every generation. We changed method, never purpose.
From Gaston and Dirk, who started processing oats in Zulte in 1959, to Sabine, Frederik and Philippe, who joined in 1989, and the fourth generation that joined in 2017: every generation has added its own chapter, from extrusion to our first fortified blends for humanitarian programs, without changing what we stand for.
Being family-owned shapes how we decide. We plan in decades rather than quarters, we invest ahead of time, and we stand behind our choices with our own name on the building.
Driven by people
Cereal power comes from people who know exactly how a grain behaves, why one batch differs from another, and what to adjust before anyone notices a difference.
Our teams combine technical expertise with hands-on experience and a genuine feel for cereal processing. In R&D they translate a customer brief into a working formulation. In quality control they check, test and document until every specification is met. In production and logistics they make sure that what leaves our site is exactly what was promised, on time, batch after batch.
Many of our team members choose to stay with us for extended periods, driven by their knowledge of the process, their camaraderie, and their understanding of how much our customers depend on them.
At Michiels, excellence is not just engineered. It is powered by expertise, commitment and pride.
One site, full control
Everything we make is produced in Zulte, Belgium, from grain selection and intake to finished, packaged product. That concentration is deliberate. It keeps the process short, the traceability complete and the responsibility undivided.
Our highly automated facility runs a capacity of 300 metric tons per day, with dedicated zoning, in-house laboratory testing and a production setup built for consistent output at scale. We are located within easy reach of the port of Antwerp, which allows us to ship efficiently to more than 90 countries.
Built for what comes next
Nutrition is changing. Humanitarian programs are asking for higher specifications and faster response. Retailers and brands want more flexibility, shorter development cycles and clearer sustainability credentials. Both worlds are raising the bar, and we are ready for it.
We are investing in production capacity and in the technology behind it, in more energy-efficient equipment, in sustainable infrastructure and in better packaging systems that reduce waste. Our R&D team keeps working on new formulations, new grains and new applications, together with our customers and our micronutrient partners.
Our ambition is clear: to be the reference in fortified cereal nutrition, to grow as a co-creation partner for retailers and brands, and to keep improving the value we deliver per euro and per kilo.
Our milestones
1959
It starts with oats
Gaston and Dirk open an oat processing plant in Zulte, laying the foundation for everything that follows.
1970s
A European first in extrusion
Michiels introduces cereal extrusion in Europe: processing grain under high pressure and heat to make it edible and digestible. A new technology opens new markets.
1989
The third generation
Sabine, Frederik and Philippe join the family business.
1994
The first fortified blends
Our first Corn Soya Blend and Wheat Soya Blend leave Zulte for humanitarian nutrition programs. The beginning of three decades of food aid.
2014
From 25 kg to 1.5 kg
We convert our packaging to 1.5 kg consumer-ready bags, better suited to distribution in the field and to household use.
2017
The fourth generation
The fourth generation of the family joins the company, ready to write the next chapter.
2019-2021
More capacity, higher standards
Extrusion capacity is expanded, raw material intake and cleaning are upgraded, and production zoning is reinforced to meet the most demanding humanitarian and retail requirements.
2026
Our own baby food brand
Michiels acquires Billiebubs, a baby food brand for retail.
Today
106 million lives, 94 countries
Michiels supplies UN agencies, NGOs, retailers and brands across more than ninety countries – and keeps investing in what comes next.