Production of plant-based organic foods such as drinks, tofu and Ghurts from regional raw materials in Beckum
Berief Food GmbH
Beckum (Lebensweg 1)New on Amplifa
About Berief Food
Since 1985, Berief Food GmbH has been developing and producing purely plant-based foods in organic quality at its Beckum site in the Münsterland region. The product range includes plant-based drinks based on soy, oats, almonds and cereals, tofu varieties such as Natural and Smoked as well as vegan mince and plant-based Ghurts. The raw materials are sourced from Germany and the neighbouring European countries wherever possible; for the organic tofu, exclusively organic soybeans from Germany are used. Production covers raw material preparation, the production of the mash or soy processing as well as filling, among other things on a Tetra Edge filling line. Since 2006 the company has been certified with the EU Bio-Siegel (DE-ÖKO-006), since 2020 it has been producing with 100 % green electricity, and since 2021 it has been certified according to the ZNU standard 'Nachhaltiger Wirtschaften' (Sustainable Business Management). The products are distributed via retail, communal catering and the gastronomy sector; around 300 employees work at the Beckum site.
- Site
- Beckum
- Processes
- Filling of plant-based drinks (Tetra Edge filling line), Soy processing / tofu production, Production of fermented cereal drinks, Production of plant-based organic products (drinks, tofu, Ghurts), Product development/laboratory, Own online shop, Recipe/content marketing (heytofu.de)
- Materials
- Organic soybeans, Organic oats, Organic almonds, Cereals (fermented), Organic cereals (fermented)
- Certificates
- EU Bio-Siegel / DE-ÖKO-006, ZNU standard 'Nachhaltiger Wirtschaften' (Sustainable Business Management)
- Founded
- 1985
- Employees
- approx. 300
- Industries
- Food retail (retail trade), Communal catering (canteens, company cafeterias), Gastronomy, Large-scale consumers/communal catering (canteens, company cafeterias)
- 01
Raw material sourcing (organic quality, Germany and neighbouring European
- 02
Product development / laboratory
- 03
Soy processing or mash production
- 04
Filling (including Tetra Edge filling line)
- 05
Quality assurance
- 06
Distribution via retail, communal catering and gastronomy
Raw materials and processes
Organic soybeans
Basis for tofu products and soy drinks; for the organic tofu, exclusively organic soybeans from Germany are used.
Organic oats
Raw material for the oat drink production, including Organic Oat Natural and Organic Barista.
Organic almonds
Raw material for plant-based almond drinks such as Organic Almond Unsweetened.
Organic cereals (fermented)
Basis for fermented cereal drinks, which have been part of the product range since 2012.
Site
Beckum
DEProduction and administration site
- Materials
- Organic soybeans, organic oats, organic almonds, fermented cereals
- Tetra Edge filling line (Tetra Pak)
- Packaging machine with tamper-evident closure
- Soy processing systems
- Laboratory area
Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filling of plant-based drinks (Tetra Edge filling line)Assembly | – | – | – | – | Organic soybeans, Organic oats, Organic almonds |
| Soy processing / tofu productionAssembly | – | – | – | – | Organic soybeans from Germany |
| Production of fermented cereal drinksAssembly | – | – | – | – | Cereals (organic) |
3 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tetra Edge filling line | Tetra Pak Tetra Edge | 1 | – | – | Beckum |
| Packaging machine with tamper-evident closure | – | 1 | – | 2013 | Beckum |
| Soy processing systems | – | – | – | – | Beckum |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality and certification
Quality assurance includes an in-house laboratory area for quality testing and product development. Since 2006, the company has been certified according to the EU Bio-Siegel (annual DE-ÖKO-006 inspection) and since 2021 audited according to the ZNU standard 'Nachhaltiger Wirtschaften' (Sustainable Business Management).
| Evidence | Beckum |
|---|---|
| EU Bio-Siegel / DE-ÖKO-006 | |
| ZNU standard 'Nachhaltiger Wirtschaften' (Sustainable Business Management) |
History
- 1985
Founded by the Berief family in the Münsterland region under the brand name 'Tofu Kostwerk GmbH'
- 1990
Establishment of the first 1,200 m² production facility at today's site in Beckum
- 1998
Marcus Berief joins the family business
- 2004
Production of fresh soy drinks in the company's own facility; brand names BERIEF and 'Soja Fit'
- 2006
Switch to organic quality; first certification with the EU Bio-Siegel
- 2011
Adaptation of the infrastructure, new warehouse space
- 2012
Expansion of the product range to include fermented cereal drinks
- 2013
New packaging machine with tamper-evident closure; establishment of a laboratory area
- 2016–2017
Total investment of around € 40 million in production and warehouse buildings as well as equipment
- 2017
Bernd Eßer becomes Managing Director of Berief Food GmbH
- 2018
Groundbreaking ceremony (29.11.) for a further 1,200 m² production hall with a Tetra Edge filling line
- 2020
100 % green electricity in production; start of construction of the next production expansion
- 2021
Certification according to the ZNU standard 'Nachhaltiger Wirtschaften' (Sustainable Business Management)
- 2023
WDR 'Die Sendung mit der Maus' films the oat drink production in Beckum
- 2024
Introduction of Organic Barista Unsweetened