To reduce energy cost and comply with recent European regulations, there is a growing interest for generic computer-aided tools to optimize energy consumption in food factories. There are several chemical engineering software but none dedicated to food processes. Prior to Pinch and exergy analysis, the entire process needs to be modelled, with specific constraints related to exergy analysis and scientific bottlenecks related to the estimation of thermophysical properties of food products and the modelling of unit operations specific to food processes. In this study, a generic methodology to model food processes to in fine allow Pinch and exergy analyses is proposed. The methodology was applied to the sugar beet process. The developed model allowed simulation of a real sugar beet factory, with deviation ranges within the uncertainties on industrial data. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.