Daiya Foods makes huge investment in new fermentation technology

The Burnaby-based dairy alternative producer explores further product innovation

Photo provided.

Ever a leader in the plant-based food product realm, the BC-based Daiya Foods Inc. has just announced a multi-million dollar investment in new technology that could allow the brand to regain cutting-edge status in the plant-based cheese grocery category.

The newly acquired state-of-the-art fermentation technology will live at Daiya's production facility in Burnaby, BC–which is also the largest stand-alone plant-based facility of its kind in North America. Daiya is a Canadian-founded company, but was purchased by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. in 2017.

Though there aren't many details surrounding what this technology does (no doubt proprietary to some level), the brand promises end products that are, for lack a better descriptor, more cheese-like than ever before. The company's CEO Michael Watt explains that this business decision will be similarly game-changing to the category similar to when the brand first came on the market back in 2008.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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“We believe that the future of plant-based cheese achieving parity to dairy lies in traditional fermentation techniques. I don’t& believe any brand has fully cracked the code on a formula that cheese lovers feel entirely confident in–Daiya is going to change that,” said Watt in this week's announcement.

Beyond its famed line of vegan cheese products, the brand also produces packaged frozen pizzas, cheesecakes and more.

Consumers can expect Daiya's innovative new cheese products to start arriving in grocery stores by the end of 2023.