Economy thumb|alt=Aerial photo of a sugar refinery in Nantes|Beghin-Say sugar refinery For centuries, Nantes's economy was linked to the Loire and the Atlantic; the city had France's largest harbour in the 18th century. Food processing predominated during the Industrial Age, with sugar refineries (Beghin-Say), biscuit factories (LU and BN), canned fish (Saupiquet and Tipiak) and processed vegetables (Bonduelle and Cassegrain); these brands still dominate the French market. The Nantes region is France's largest food producer; the city has recently become a hub of innovation in food security, with laboratories and firms such as Eurofins Scientific.
Economy thumb|alt=Aerial photo of a sugar refinery in Nantes|Beghin-Say sugar refinery For centuries Nantes's economy was linked to the Loire and the Atlantic; the city had France's largest harbour in the 18th century. Food processing predominated during the Industrial Age with sugar refineries (Beghin-Say) biscuit factories (LU and BN) canned fish (Saupiquet and Tipiak) and processed vegetables (Bonduelle and Cassegrain); these bran,ds still dominate the French market. The Nantes region is France's largest food producer; the city has recently become a hub of innovation in food security, with laboratories and firms such as Eurofins Scientific.