Daiya Foods
Vancouver-founded plant-based cheese and dairy company best known for its meltable tapioca-and-pea-protein shreds, widely used on pizza and in foodservice.
Daiya Foods is a Canadian plant-based dairy alternative company, founded in 2008 in Vancouver, British Columbia, by Greg Blake and Andre Kroecher. Its signature product is a tapioca-starch-and-pea-protein shredded “cheese” designed to melt and stretch — a property that was difficult to reproduce in plant-based cheese before Daiya’s formulation.
Why it matters
Daiya’s meltable mozzarella-style shred was the first widely distributed vegan cheese that performed acceptably on pizza in foodservice. That made it possible for national chains such as Pizza Hut, Domino’s (in some markets), and Blaze Pizza to offer non-dairy options built around a single, consistent ingredient. The brand is also a staple of U.S. natural-foods grocery.
Product range
Cheese shreds (mozzarella, cheddar, pepperjack, mozzarella-style-blend), slices, block, cream cheese spreads, sour cream, yogurt, cheezecake, frozen pizzas, mac- and-cheese, and burritos. All products are vegan and free of dairy, soy, and gluten.
Corporate
Daiya was acquired by Japanese pharmaceutical company Otsuka Pharmaceutical in 2017 in a deal reported at approximately CAD 405 million — one of the largest acquisitions of an all-vegan brand at the time. The company remains based in British Columbia and has kept its product line fully plant-based.