Private company

Daiya

Logo: daiyafoods.com3

Canadian producer of vegan cheese substitutes

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 products are cheese analogues made from coconut oil and tapioca flour that are known for their cheese-like consistency and melting properties.2 It is part of Otsuka Pharmaceutical.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

2008Founded1
Happy Spicy Pizza with Daiya Vegan Cheese (4713217908)
Photo: Jennifer from Vancouver, Canada, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons5

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 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.2

Corporate structure

Daiya is part of a group headed by Otsuka Holdings. 19 entities, 4 countries on record. Switch between the flow chart and the network, and select any entity to see its details.

Built from parent and subsidiary links from GLEIF, the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (CC0); subsidiaries, stakes and holdings from Wikidata (CC0); major holders from Schedules 13D and 13G. Each entity in the chart links to its source.

The story

Andre Kroecher first began developing Daiya in 2005. Greg Blake partnered with Kroecher in 2007 and the two spent the next year developing the mozzarella and cheddar style shreds 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.

In November 2019, Daiya Foods appointed Hajime Fujita as its new chief executive officer, a role in which he will oversee global operations and the brand's international expansion. Fujita joins Daiya from its parent company, Otsuka Pharmaceuticals. Additionally, Melanie Domer has been promoted to chief commercial officer, and John Kelly to chief marketing officer, marking significant leadership changes within the company.

From Wikipedia’s article on Daiya, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Products and brands

  • cheese analogue
  • milk substitute

Listed on Wikidata.1

Subsidiaries and ownership

Parent company

From Wikidata.1

Timeline

  1. 2008Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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    Company websiteDaiya logo
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