Dive Brief:
- Soy sauce giant Kikkoman Foods has opened its third U.S. production facility to keep pace with growing demand in North America.
- The 240,000-square-foot facility in Jefferson, Wisconsin, will begin shipping products this fall. It will produce a variety of Kikkoman products, including soy sauce, teriyaki sauce and “non-soy sauce-related” seasonings for retail, foodservice and food manufacturing, according to a press release.
- Kikkoman has invested about $560 million in the Jefferson plant over the last 10 years. The opening will help expand production capacity and sustain growth, according to a release.
Dive Insight:
Kikkoman’s soy sauce business in North America has grown at an average annual rate of more than 6% over the past decade, which the company said gives it the largest share of the U.S. soy sauce market. With the new facility, Kikkoman Foods, the company’s U.S. manufacturing arm, is now better positioned to leverage America’s growing demand for Asian flavors.
“As global culinary influences continue to shape what people want on their tables, this facility also strengthens our ability to meet that evolving demand by bringing the depth and authenticity of international flavors to more people, faster,” Yuzaburo Mogi, chairman of the board of directors and honorary CEO of Kikkoman, said in a statement.
Consumers are increasingly seeking out global flavors, with tastes rooted in Asian markets especially popular, particularly with young consumers. In a 2025 report, Datassential found that Asian food trends are reshaping the retail landscape. Some ingredients are becoming “pantry staples,” with Asian-American Pacific Islander-owned brands leading the change. Earlier this year, The Marzetti Company bought Japanese barbecue sauce brand Bachan’s for $400 million, signaling confidence in the category’s potential.
Kikkoman’s new facility is located in the Food & Beverage Innovation Campus in Jefferson, which also includes V&V Supremo and Onego Bio.
Kikkoman’s two other U.S. production facilities are located in Walworth, Wisconsin, where the manufacturing arm is headquartered, and Folsom, California. Kikkoman Foods has operated in the U.S. since 1973.
