Heartland Food Products Group

What Heartland Food Products Group does

Heartland Food Products Group is a privately held, vertically integrated consumer packaged goods manufacturer headquartered in Carmel, Indiana, founded by Ted Gelov in 1991. The company produces low-calorie sweeteners, coffee creamers, liquid water enhancers, coffee, and nutritional shakes under the Splenda brand (acquired from Johnson & Johnson in 2015), Java House, SlimFast (acquired from Glanbia in 2025), and the pending Whole Earth Brands Americas portfolio (Equal, Whole Earth, Swerve, Chuker). It is the #1 brand in the global low-calorie sweetener category and the largest U.S. manufacturer of private label sweeteners and liquid water enhancers.

The company's technology backbone is a vertically integrated manufacturing platform spanning R&D, packaging design, spray drying, liquid blending, and aseptic processing at facilities in Indianapolis (including a 350,000 sq. ft. distribution center), Amsterdam (Netherlands), and Tultitlán (Mexico). This stack enables shelf-stable packaging for protein shakes, ready-to-drink coffee, and liquid creamers, and supports both branded and contract manufacturing. Certifications include SQF/GFSI (10 consecutive years), Ecocert Organic, OU Kosher, and IFANCA Halal. Splenda brand extensions span original sucralose, Stevia, Monk Fruit, Allulose, liquid sweeteners, sugar-free creamers (15 calories), Diabetes Care Shakes (16g protein), Sweet Teas, and Liquid Water Enhancers, while Java House offers cold brew coffee in liquid pods and ready-to-drink formats.

Revenue is generated through three primary streams: branded consumer products (one-time license model) sold across retail and foodservice; private label and contract manufacturing (transaction fee) supplying the majority of major U.S. retailers with store-brand sweeteners, water enhancers, coffee creamer cups, and bottled tea; and co-manufacturing partnerships (professional services) with category leaders for aseptic protein shakes and ready-to-drink beverages. The go-to-market is multi-channel — spanning grocery, mass, club, dollar, drug, convenience retail; foodservice operators (restaurants, hospitals, hotels, universities); Amazon authorized reseller e-commerce; and physical Java House Cafes in Indianapolis — serving health-conscious consumers, foodservice operators, major retailers, and brand owners across North America, EMEA, LATAM, and APAC.

Name

Heartland Food Products Group

Legal name

Heartland Food Products Group, LLC

Website

https://heartlandfpg.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Heartland Food Products Group is a privately held, vertically integrated CPG manufacturer headquartered in Carmel, Indiana, that produces low-calorie sweeteners (Splenda), coffee creamers, liquid water enhancers, cold brew coffee (Java House), and weight management nutrition (SlimFast) for global retail, foodservice, private label, and contract manufacturing customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Low-Calorie Sweeteners and Beverages

NAICS

Food Manufacturing (311), Flavoring Syrup and Concentrate Manufacturing (31193), Flavoring Syrup and Concentrate Manufacturing (311930), Soft Drink Manufacturing (312111), Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Plant-Based Protein Shakes & Nutritional RTD (Non-Dairy) (AFAFAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Alternative Protein Snacks, Bars & RTD Nutrition Manufacturing (AFAKAGAK)

Keywords

• Low-calorie sweeteners
• Consumer packaged goods
• Private label manufacturing
• Contract manufacturing
• Foodservice supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Carmel

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Branded Consumer Products: Sale of branded low-calorie sweeteners (Splenda, Splenda Stevia, Splenda Monk Fruit), liquid water enhancers, coffee creamers, and diabetes care shakes through retail and foodservice channels.
2. Private Label Manufacturing: Contract manufacturing and private label production of sweeteners, liquid water enhancers, coffee creamer cups, and bottled tea for major U.S. retailers under store brands.
3. Contract Manufacturing Partnerships: Strategic co-manufacturing partnerships with category leaders for aseptic products including protein shakes, ready-to-drink coffee, and liquid coffee creamers.
4. SlimFast Brand Acquisition: Revenue from acquired SlimFast brand products (meal replacement shakes and related nutrition products) following acquisition from Glanbia.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Heartland Food Products Group manufactures and markets branded and private label low-calorie sweeteners, liquid water enhancers, coffee creamers, cold brew coffee, and nutrition shakes, anchored by the Splenda brand and supported by vertically integrated R&D, aseptic processing, spray drying, and liquid blending capabilities. The company operates through retail consumer, foodservice, private label/contract manufacturing, and e-commerce channels.

Product overview

Heartland Food Products Group is a global leader in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry that manufactures and markets a portfolio of branded, licensed, and private label products centered on low-calorie sweeteners and beverages. The core branded portfolio is anchored by Splenda, the #1 brand in the low-calorie sweetener (LCS) category, which includes multiple product lines: original sucralose-based sweeteners (sold in packets, jars, and portable formats), plant-based alternatives (Stevia and Monk Fruit), Allulose sweeteners, liquid sweeteners, coffee creamers (15 calories per serving), Diabetes Care Shakes (16g protein, no added sugar), Sweet Teas, and Liquid Water Enhancers. The branded portfolio was expanded through the 2015 Splenda acquisition and subsequent launches, and more recently through the 2025 acquisition of SlimFast US (weight management nutrition) and the 2026 pending acquisition of Whole Earth Brands' Americas business (Equal, Whole Earth, Swerve, and Chuker sweeteners). The company also offers Java House cold brew coffee (liquid pods and ready-to-drink) and operates Java House Cafes. The private label business provides national brand equivalent (NBE) store brand products including sweeteners (sucralose, stevia, saccharin, aspartame), liquid water enhancers, coffee creamer cups, and bottled tea. Heartland positions itself as a vertically integrated one-stop-shop providing R&D, manufacturing, packaging, and distribution capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Splenda Original Sweeteners: Original sucralose-based sweeteners sold in packets, great for baking and sweetening drinks. Over 100 billion packets sold since 1992.
• Splenda Stevia Sweeteners
• Splenda Monk Fruit Sweeteners
• Splenda Allulose Sweeteners
• Splenda Liquid Sweeteners
• Splenda Coffee Creamers
• Splenda Diabetes Care Shakes
• Splenda Liquid Water Enhancers
• Splenda Sweet Teas
• Java House Coffee
• Private Label Sweeteners
• Private Label Liquid Water Enhancers
• Private Label Coffee Creamer Cups
• Private Label Gallon Bottled Tea

Products and services

• Splenda Original Sweeteners America's favorite low-calorie sweetener brand made from sucralose, sold in packets, jars, granulated pouches and portable formats for baking, beverages and general food preparation. Target consumers are health-conscious individuals, people managing diabetes, and weight-conscious adults.
• Splenda Stevia Sweeteners Zero-calorie plant-based sweetener made from stevia extract for consumers seeking a natural, low-calorie sugar alternative for foods and beverages.
• Splenda Monk Fruit Sweeteners Zero-calorie sweetener made from monk fruit, enabling consumers to replace added sugar in favorite foods with a plant-based option.
• Splenda Allulose Sweeteners Low-calorie sweetener made with allulose, a rare sugar with minimal calories, serving consumers seeking natural sugar alternatives.
• Splenda Liquid Sweeteners Zero sugar, calories and carbs liquid sweetener in portable formats for on-the-go use, providing easy zero-calorie sweetening for drinks.
• Splenda Coffee Creamers Sugar-free coffee creamers with no corn syrup, only 15 calories per serving, designed for consumers seeking low-calorie coffee enhancement.
• Splenda Diabetes Care Shakes Diabetes-specific nutritional shakes with no added sugar and 16g protein per serving, designed to help manage blood sugar for people with diabetes.
• Splenda Sweet Teas Pre-sweetened bottled teas made with Splenda sweetener for consumers seeking lower-calorie ready-to-drink tea options.
• Splenda Liquid Water Enhancers Zero sugar, calories and carbs water flavor enhancers sold in concentrated squeeze bottles that add flavor to water on-the-go.
• Java House Coffee Cold brew coffee made in small batches by steeping coffee in cold water for 12 hours or more, available in single-serve liquid pods (combined with 6-8 ounces of water), ready-to-drink solutions, and at Java House Cafes in the greater Indianapolis area.
• SlimFast Health-focused weight management brand offering meal replacement shakes and related nutrition products acquired from Glanbia, reinforcing Heartland's commitment to helping consumers reduce sugar intake and manage weight.
• Equal Sweeteners Aspartame-based tabletop sweetener brand spanning North America and Latin America, part of Heartland's expanded sugar reduction and low/no-calorie sweetener portfolio.
• Whole Earth Sweeteners Sweetener brand serving North America and Latin America, added to Heartland's portfolio through the Whole Earth Brands Americas acquisition.
• Swerve Sweeteners Sweetener brand in the natural sweetener space, part of Heartland's expanded sugar reduction and low/no-calorie sweetener portfolio following the Whole Earth Brands Americas acquisition.
• Chuker Sweeteners Sweetener brand spanning North America and Latin America markets, part of Heartland's expanded low/no-calorie sweetener portfolio.
• Private Label Sweeteners National brand equivalent (NBE) private label sweeteners including sucralose, stevia, saccharin and aspartame formats in packets, granulated pouches, jars and portable liquid formats, supplied to major U.S. retailers under their store brands.
• Private Label Liquid Water Enhancers Store brand liquid water enhancers matching NBE specifications, available in natural, electrolyte, energy, tea, kids and core flavors, plus functional baking solutions with sugar blends, supplied to major U.S. retailers.
• Private Label Coffee Creamer Cups Store brand single-serve coffee creamer cups with capabilities for original and flavored creamers, providing single-serve sweetening solutions to retail partners.
• Private Label Gallon Bottled Tea Hotfill gallon bottled tea products including sweet tea and flavored teas, manufactured for major U.S. retailers under their private label brands.
• Contract Manufacturing Services Strategic co-manufacturing services using aseptic processing and packaging (HDPE bottles, aseptic PET, Bag-in-Box) for category leaders producing protein shakes, ready-to-drink coffee, liquid coffee creamers and other low-acid shelf-stable products.
• Foodservice Supply Direct enterprise supply of low-calorie sweeteners, Splenda brand products, coffee creamers, and beverage solutions to foodservice operators including restaurants, hospitals, hotels, universities and office coffee service providers requiring bulk and portion-control formats.

Quantifiable outcome

• Splenda has sold more than 100 billion packets since 1992 launch
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Whole Earth Brands (Americas Business)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 May 2026Heartland Food Products Group entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Americas business of Whole Earth Brands, including Equal, Whole Earth, Swerve, and Chuker sweetener brands across North America and Latin America. This acquisition expands Heartland's position in the sugar reduction and low/no-calorie sweetener market, combining multiple established sweetener brands under one organization spanning retail, foodservice, ingredient solutions, and B2B distribution channels.
• Supreme plc (SlimFast UK/Ireland acquisition from Glanbia)minorOthers · 20 October 2025Glanbia sold SlimFast UK and Ireland to Supreme plc for approximately $27 million. Heartland previously acquired SlimFast US from Glanbia. This transaction represents the completion of Glanbia's divestment of the SlimFast brand.
• Glanbia (SlimFast US brand acquisition)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 September 2025Heartland Food Products Group acquired the SlimFast US brand from Glanbia, strengthening its position in health-focused nutrition products alongside existing Splenda brand. The acquisition reinforces Heartland's commitment to helping consumers reduce sugar intake and manage weight.
• Retailers (multiple)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHeartland is the leading provider of private label sweeteners and liquid water enhancers in the U.S., supplying majority of major retailers including grocery, mass, club, dollar, and drug stores with national brand equivalent (NBE) store brand products.
• Leading Global Foodservice RetailercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic foodservice partnership with testimonial noting Heartland's responsive team, fast-acting capabilities, excellent target matching, and highly knowledgeable scientists. Partnership involves product development and supply of Splenda Food Service products.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Tate & Lyle: Global sweetener and food ingredient manufacturer (splenda co-licensee historically, sucralose, stevia, allulose) — directly comparable in low-calorie sweetener manufacturing, B2B ingredient supply, and exposure to the sugar reduction trend that drives Heartland's portfolio.
• Ingredion: Major ingredient solutions provider producing sweeteners (sucralose-licensed, stevia, allulose) for food and beverage customers — comparable in vertically integrated ingredient manufacturing and serving branded CPG customers and private label supply chains similar to Heartland.
• PureCircle (Ingredion brand): Leading stevia sweetener supplier to global food and beverage companies — comparable product set (stevia-based sweetener ingredients) and overlapping B2B customer base in the same low-calorie sweetener category where Heartland competes.
• NutraSweet: Aspartame and high-intensity sweetener brand competing in the same tabletop sweetener category as Splenda — directly comparable branded sweetener competitor targeting the same health-conscious and diabetic consumer segments.

Broad incumbents

• Cargill: Global food and agriculture giant with significant sweetener manufacturing (corn syrup, stevia via EverSweet, sugar reduction ingredients) — comparable in vertically integrated sweetener production and global food manufacturing scale, though it operates across a much broader portfolio beyond tabletop sweeteners.
• ADM (Archer Daniels Midland): Global nutrition and agricultural processor with sweetener, flavor, and beverage ingredient capabilities (SweetRight stevia, Fibersol) — comparable as a B2B ingredient supplier to food and beverage manufacturers, but operates at much greater scale and across broader end markets than Heartland.
• DSM-Firmenich: Global nutrition, health, and flavors company with sweetener taste solutions (TasteGEM, Optimizer Stevia) for food and beverage customers — comparable as a flavor and sweetener ingredient supplier serving the same B2B and CPG customers.
• Keurig Dr Pepper: Major North American beverage company with significant coffee and sweetened beverage portfolio — comparable in cold brew coffee (Heartland's Java House brand) and bottled sweetened beverage categories where Heartland manufactures private label products.

Emerging players

• Pyure Brands: Stevia-based sweetener and sweetener blend brand focused on natural and organic consumers — comparable in the plant-based sweetener category that overlaps with Heartland's Splenda Stevia and Splenda Monk Fruit product lines.
• Wholesome Sweeteners: Organic and natural sweetener brand (sugar, honey, stevia, monk fruit, agave) competing in the same reduced-sugar consumer segment as Splenda Natural products and the recently acquired Whole Earth portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heartland-food-products-group

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Heartland Food Products Group