Mizkan Holdings (Mitsukan Hōrudingusu) is a Japanese company that produces vinegars (including seasoned rice vinegars, balsamic vinegars, and wine vinegars), mustards, salad dressings, authentic East Asian sauces, nattō, and other food products. It is based in Handa, Aichi Prefecture, near Nagoya.[2]

Mizkan Holdings Co., Ltd.
Native name
株式会社 Mizkan Holdings
Company typePrivate KK
IndustryFood
Founded1804; 220 years ago (1804)
FounderMatazaemon Nakano
Headquarters,
Japan
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Miwa Nakano
(Chairman and CEO)
Yuko Nakano
(President)
Products
RevenueJPY 270 billion (FY 2022)
Number of employees
3,700
WebsiteOfficial website
Footnotes / references
[1]
Mizkan Museum

History

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The company was founded in Handa in 1804 by Matazaemon Nakano, who began producing rice vinegar using byproducts from the production of sake (rice alcohol). Nakano named his company the Mitsukan Group. In the late 1970s Mitsukan expanded from Japan into the United States and began acquiring regional condiment companies. The group was officially registered as a corporate entity in July 1977. In 1995, in honour of its founder, the U.S. arm of the business changed its name to Nakano Foods. In 2004, the Mitsukan Group became The Mizkan Group Corporation, and Nakano Foods became Mizkan America.[2][3][4]

Present

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Mizkan's product range includes: vinegars, seasoned rice vinegars, balsamic vinegars, wine vinegars, mustards, jellies, salad dressings, and authentic Asian sauces. The company's CEO is Miwa Nakano, and its president is Yuko Nakano.

In July 2012 the British company Premier Foods sold its Sarson's vinegar, Haywards pickled onion and Dufrais vinegar brands to Mizkan for £41m as part of a streamlining programme. Also in late 2012 the Branston pickle brand was sold to Mizkan.[5]

In May 2014, it bought the US Ragú and Bertolli pasta and sauce brands from the British multinational Unilever for $2.15 billion.[6]

References

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  1. ^ "Corporate Profile". Mizkan. Archived from the original on December 6, 2022. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Company Overview of Mizkan Holdings Co., Ltd". Bloomberg L.P. Archived from the original on December 16, 2018. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
  3. ^ Lansky, Vicki (February 2009). Vinegar: Over 400 Various, Versatile and Very Good Uses You've Probably Never Thought Of. Book Peddlers. p. 14. ISBN 978-1-931863-74-2.
  4. ^ "Company Overview of Mizkan America, Inc". Bloomberg L.P. Archived from the original on December 16, 2018. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
  5. ^ "Branston sold by Premier Foods to Japan's Mizkan". BBC News. October 30, 2012. Archived from the original on June 20, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
  6. ^ "Consumer goods major Unilever sells Ragu and Bertolli brands". Japan Herald. Archived from the original on May 23, 2014. Retrieved May 22, 2014.
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