Daiya Ebihara

Daiya Foods Inc. is a Canada-based dairy-alternative food company located in Burnaby, British Columbia. 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 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 and Turtle Island Foods. 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 agreed to acquire 100 percent of Daiya Foods for $405 million.

Products

*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 meatless products
*The Higher Taste Vegan Supreme Buzzito
* Tofurky 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, 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 (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'' 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.

See also

* List of vegetarian and vegan companies
* Veganism

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