Daiya Foods Inc. is a Canada-based dairy-

alternative food The term food system describes the interconnected systems and processes that influence nutrition, food, health, community development, and agriculture. A food system includes all processes and infrastructure involved in feeding a population: gro ...

company located in

Burnaby, British Columbia Burnaby is a city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada. Located in the centre of the Burrard Peninsula, it neighbours the City of Vancouver to the west, the District of North Vancouver across the confluence of the Burrard ...

. The company was established in 2008 by Andre Kroecher and Greg Blake. Daiya's original (and likely its best known) products are cheese analogues made from coconut oil and

tapioca Tapioca (; ) is a starch extracted from the storage roots of the cassava plant (''Manihot esculenta,'' also known as manioc), a species native to the North and Northeast regions of Brazil, but whose use is now spread throughout South America ...

flour that are known for their cheese-like consistency and melting properties. They contain no animal products or soy, lactose, wheat, barley, gluten or nuts. Daiya is sold in natural and conventional food stores within Canada and the United States. Daiya products are also available in the UK, Australia, Mexico, Hong Kong and more, and are featured on restaurant menus and in packaged food products made by

Amy's Kitchen Amy's Kitchen is a family-owned, privately-held American company based in Petaluma, California, that manufactures organic and non-GMO convenience and frozen foods. Founded in 1987 by Andy and Rachel Berliner, and incorporated since 1988, the co ...

and

Turtle Island Foods Turtle Island Foods is an American company founded in 1980 in Forest Grove, Oregon and headquartered in Hood River, which produces Tofurky, a popular vegetarian and vegan alternative to turkey, as well other meatless products. All of the company ...

. Daiya has won many awards for its products, including the 2009 Veggie Award for Product of the Year. In 2011, ''BC Business'' magazine named Daiya one of the 20 most innovative companies in British Columbia. In July 2017,

Otsuka Pharmaceutical (), abbreviated OPC, is a pharmaceutical company headquartered in Tokyo, Osaka and Naruto, Japan. The company was established August 10, 1964. History OPC's parent company Otsuka Holdings Co. Ltd. joined the Tokyo Stock Exchange through an ini ...

agreed to acquire 100 percent of Daiya Foods for $405 million.

Products

Happy Spicy Pizza with Daiya Vegan Cheese (4713217908)

*Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds *Daiya Mozzarella Style Shreds *Daiya Pepperjack Style Shreds *Daiya Classic Blend Shreds *Daiya Cutting Board Collection Mozzarella Style Shreds *Daiya Cutting Board Collection Cheddar Style Shreds *Daiya Cutting Board Collection Pepperjack Style Shreds *Daiya Medium Cheddar Style Block *Daiya Jalapeño Havarti Style Block *Daiya Monterey Jack Style Block *Daiya Smoked Gouda Style Block *Daiya American Style Slices *Daiya Cheddar Style Slices *Daiya Provolone Style Slices *Daiya Swiss Style Slices *Daiya Smoked Gouda Style Slices *Daiya Mozzarella Style Slices *Daiya Supreme Gluten Free Pizza *Daiya Fire Roasted Vegetable Gluten Free Pizza *Daiya Cheeze Lover's Gluten Free Pizza *Daiya Mushroom & Roasted Garlic Gluten Free Pizza *Daiya Margherita Gluten Free Pizza *Daiya Spinach & Mushroom Gluten Free Pizza *Daiya Meatless Meat Lover's Gluten Free Pizza *Daiya Meatless Pepperoni Style Gluten Free Pizza *Daiya Strawberry Cream Cheese Style Spread *Daiya Plain Cream Cheese Style Spread *Daiya Chives & Onion Cream Cheese Style Spread *Daiya Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese Style Spread Daiya also partners with other companies that make products with Daiya: * Amy's Dairy Free Rice Macaroni & Cheeze *NuLife Grilled "Cheese" Sandwich *NuLife Round Ultimate "Cheese" Pizza *

Gardein Gardein (a ''portmanteau'' of garden and protein) is a line of meat-free foods produced by Conagra Brands. In 2003, the company was founded by Yves Potvin, who remains the CEO of Gardein . In November 2014, Pinnacle Foods purchased Gardein for $ ...

meatless products *The Higher Taste Vegan Supreme Buzzito *

Tofurky Tofurky is the brand name of an American vegan turkey replacement (also known as a meat analogue, or, more specifically, tofurkey) made from a blend of wheat protein and organic tofu. Tofurky® is a trademark of Turtle Island Foods, a company ...

Pizza

Uses

Daiya can be used as an alternative to cheese in various vegan dishes.

History

Andre Kroecher first began developing Daiya in 2005. Greg Blake partnered with Kroecher in 2007 and the two spent 1 year developing the Mozzarella and Cheddar Style Shreds now in stores based on Kroecher's early innovations. Food Scientist Paul Wong was brought on in early 2008 to help with scaleup and refining the formulations. Daiya Foods Inc's alternatives were first introduced at the Natural Products Expo West in

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most ...

, in 2009 and were an instant success. In late 2009, Daiya Foods moved to a dedicated facility to ensure the highest level of food safety (Daiya Foods Inc. is an SQF certified facility) After Daiya's acquisition by Otsuka, some retailers discontinued carrying Daiya products due to Otsuka's practice of using animal testing.

Awards

Daiya won first place in the

BC Innovation Council Innovate BC (formally the BC Innovation Council or BCIC) is a Crown Agency of the Province of British Columbia, Canada, which funds entrepreneurial support programs in the province. Innovate BC focuses on the support of technology startups and ...

(BCIC) 2009 Commercialization of Agricultural Technology Competition. Also in 2009, Daiya was the awarded the PETA Libby Award for best vegan cheese. Daiya Foods won the VegNews Veggie Award at the Natural Products ExpoWest Show in Anaheim, California, in March 2009, 2011 and 2012. In 2010, it won the best vegan cheese award from ''

VegNews ''VegNews'' is an American magazine that publishes content about and relating to veganism, including news, health information, recipes, global events, vegan products, media, and more. History and profile It was founded in 2000 as a newspaper, and ...

'' and the 2010 Proggy Award for Company of the Year from PETA. 2012 awards in Canada include the British Columbia Food Processors award for Product of the Year and the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology Gordon Royal Maybee award, in recognition of outstanding applied development by a Canadian company or institution in the fields of food production, processing, transportation, storage or quality control.

References

{{Vegetarianism Vegan cuisine Cheese analogues Companies based in Burnaby Otsuka Pharmaceutical Canadian subsidiaries of foreign companies Retail companies established in 2008 Vegetarian companies and establishments of Canada 2008 establishments in British Columbia Food and drink companies based in British Columbia

Products

Uses

History

Awards

See also

References