# Hengstenberg

produces the majority of Europe's sauerkraut from its Fritzlar, Hesse facility — described as the continent's largest sauerkraut factory — as global demand for the product grows rapidly.

Source: https://en.bioecon.ru/companies/hengstenberg/
Updated: 2026-07-07

- Country: Germany

## Verifiable facts

| Fact | Value | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Funding | Public funding for industrial process optimization of a sustainable packaging solution from macroalgae (MakPakScaleUp), subproject F | https://www.hna.de/wirtschaft/bei-hengstenberg-in-fritzlar-ist-sauerkraut-kassenschlager-9170782.html |
| Capacity | 500 tons of cabbage per day at the Fritzlar facility | https://www.hna.de/wirtschaft/bei-hengstenberg-in-fritzlar-ist-sauerkraut-kassenschlager-9170782.html |
| Production site | Fritzlar, Germany | https://fmig-online.de/en/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/200807_Factsheet_Hengstenberg_EN.pdf, https://www.hengstenberg.de/uber-uns/standorte |
| Production site | Bad Friedrichshall, Germany | https://fmig-online.de/en/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/200807_Factsheet_Hengstenberg_EN.pdf, https://www.hengstenberg.de/uber-uns/standorte |
| Production site | Esslingen, Germany (headquarters) | https://fmig-online.de/en/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/200807_Factsheet_Hengstenberg_EN.pdf, https://www.hengstenberg.de/uber-uns/standorte, https://www.hna.de/wirtschaft/bei-hengstenberg-in-fritzlar-ist-sauerkraut-kassenschlager-9170782.html |
| Headcount | 500 employees across all three locations | https://www.hengstenberg.com/company, https://www.hna.de/wirtschaft/bei-hengstenberg-in-fritzlar-ist-sauerkraut-kassenschlager-9170782.html |
| Headcount | 157 permanent employees at the Fritzlar facility | https://www.hna.de/wirtschaft/bei-hengstenberg-in-fritzlar-ist-sauerkraut-kassenschlager-9170782.html |
| Headcount | 250-300 seasonal employees at the Fritzlar facility during peak season | https://www.hna.de/wirtschaft/bei-hengstenberg-in-fritzlar-ist-sauerkraut-kassenschlager-9170782.html |
| Revenue | 140 million EUR as of 2017 fiscal year | https://www.hna.de/wirtschaft/bei-hengstenberg-in-fritzlar-ist-sauerkraut-kassenschlager-9170782.html |

Independent sources: fmig-online.de, hna.de

## Technologies

- [Traditional fermentation](https://en.bioecon.ru/technology/traditional-fermentation/)