Ben’s Original

What Ben’s Original does

Ben's Original is a Mars, Incorporated-owned packaged rice and convenient meal brand founded in the 1940s (originally as Uncle Ben's Converted) and rebranded to Ben's Original in 2020 as part of an inclusion initiative. The company manufactures and sells a broad portfolio of rice and meal products — including READY RICE (microwavable in 90 seconds), white and whole grain brown rice, flavored grains, single-serve rice cups, the newly launched Street Food line of ready meals, boil-in-bag rice, dry rice, and complementary cooking sauces — across more than 16 countries including the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, France, Australia, and other European markets. Manufacturing is anchored at facilities in Houston, Texas (the original site) and Greenville, Mississippi (which achieved Zero Waste to Landfill in 2015), with international production and distribution handled through Mars' global infrastructure.

The company's core technology is the proprietary Étuvage steam-sealing process, developed by Erich Huzenlaub in the 1940s and licensed to Forrest Mars Sr., in which rice is soaked and pressure-treated so that water-soluble vitamins and minerals are driven back into the grain before polishing, preserving over 80% of natural nutrients while enabling 90-second microwave preparation. Photoelectric sorting technology is used to select only premium grains for packaging, supporting consistent quality across SKUs. The brand holds the #1 position in US branded long grain rice — a status achieved within six years of its 1952 launch — and is the #1 rice brand worldwide by share.

Commercially, Ben's Original operates a CPG distribution-led model: revenue is generated through one-time product sales of packaged rice and meal solutions via major grocery, supermarket, and convenience store channels globally, with Walmart and Sam's Club as flagship US retail partners and a 'Where to Buy' direct-to-consumer e-commerce touchpoint on the brand website. Customer segments are horizontal — mainstream consumers seeking quick home meals, international-cuisine enthusiasts, and food-insecure families reached through the Fight Hunger. Spark Change. cause-marketing partnership with Feeding America. The brand is privately held within Mars, Incorporated, has no independent capital structure or external investors, and does not publicly disclose brand-level revenue.

Name

Ben’s Original

Legal name

Ben's Original (Brand owned by Mars, Incorporated)

Website

https://bensoriginal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Ben's Original is a Mars, Incorporated-owned brand that manufactures and sells packaged rice and convenient meal products globally — including READY RICE, single-serve cups, dry rice, and Street Food entrees — distributed through major grocery and retail channels across more than 16 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Packaged Rice Products

NAICS

Rice Milling (311212)

SIC

Grain Mill Products (2040)

akta.pro primary industry

Rice & Grain Processing (milling, polishing, parboiling, blending) (AFAKABAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Frozen prepared meals & entrées manufacturing (AFAKAHAA)

Keywords

• Packaged rice products
• Ready rice meals
• Microwavable rice
• Convenient meal solutions
• Cooking sauces

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Rice and Convenient Meal Products: Revenue generated from the sale of packaged rice products including microwavable rice cups, ready rice pouches, dry rice, boil-in-bag rice, cooking sauces, and the newly launched Street Food line of ready meals. Products are sold through major retail channels globally.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ben's Original manufactures and sells packaged rice products including ready-to-eat microwavable rice pouches, dry rice, single-serve rice cups, flavored rice varieties, boil-in-bag rice, and complementary cooking sauces. Products are produced using the proprietary Étuvage steam-sealing parboiling process that preserves over 80% of natural nutrients while enabling preparation in as little as 90 seconds.

Product overview

Ben's Original is a comprehensive rice brand portfolio owned by Mars, Incorporated, offering a diverse range of rice products spanning ready-to-eat microwavable options, dry rice varieties, single-serve cups, cooking sauces, and meal solutions. The product line includes READY RICE (microwavable in 90 seconds), White Rice, Whole Grain Brown Rice, Flavored Grains Rice, Single Serve Cups, and the new Street Food line (globally inspired ready meals). Complementary products include Cooking Sauces (Sweet and Sour, Curry, Korma, Lemon Chicken, Tikka Masala, and more) and Meal Solutions. The brand traces its heritage to Uncle Ben's with the proprietary étuvage parboiling process developed in the 1940s, which preserves nutrients in the rice grain. Available across global markets including the US, UK, Canada, and Switzerland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ben's Beginners: A program designed to encourage families to spend more time cooking meals together, with cooking contests and community engagement.

Products and services

• Ready Rice Microwavable pre-cooked rice products that can be prepared in 90 seconds to 2 minutes, offering convenience for quick meals for consumers.
• White Rice Traditional white rice varieties including jasmine and long grain options for everyday home cooking.
• Whole Grain Brown Rice Health-focused whole grain brown rice options higher in fiber and nutrients for health-conscious consumers.
• Flavored Grains Rice

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 80% of natural nutrients preserved through Étuvage process
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• WalmartcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 April 202613th annual 'Fight Hunger. Spark Change.' cause marketing campaign running April 6 through May 3, 2026, allowing customers to donate at checkout or purchase specially marked products. Campaign has generated over $227 million and 2 billion meals for Feeding America.
• Sam's ClubcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 April 202613th annual 'Fight Hunger. Spark Change.' cause marketing campaign supporting the Feeding America network of local food banks, with customer donations at checkout and specially marked products.
• No Kid HungrycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 March 2026Partnership with professional baseball player Ben Rice to support the No Kid Hungry charity initiative, providing up to 22,000 meals for food-insecure children. Donations are tied to Ben Rice's on-field performance throughout the baseball season.
• Sustainable Rice PlatformcoreTechnology or Integration · 8 December 2025Global alliance co-founded by Mars, implementing climate-smart agriculture practices including Alternate Wetting and Drying techniques that have demonstrated up to 60% reductions in water usage and greenhouse gas emissions in pilot locations.
• National Urban LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partnership to create the SEAT AT THE TABLE scholarship endowment supporting Black students pursuing careers in the food industry, demonstrating the brand's commitment to inclusion and equity.
• United Negro College FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partnership to create the SEAT AT THE TABLE scholarship endowment supporting Black students pursuing careers in the food industry as part of the brand's commitment to inclusion and equity.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Seeds of Change: Seeds of Change, owned by Mars rival General Mills, sells microwavable rice and grain pouches directly competing with Ben's Original Ready Rice. It targets the same health-conscious, organic-leaning consumer via grocery and natural food channels.
• Alter Eco: Alter Eco is an emerging sustainable food brand offering organic rice, grains, and ready-to-eat meals. It is a niche competitor with overlapping sustainability messaging and microwavable rice pouches that intersect with Ben's Original's Whole Grain Brown Rice and flavored grains lines.
• Lotus Foods: Lotus Foods specializes in organic and heirloom rice varieties (black, red, brown jasmine) with a sustainability narrative similar to Ben's Original's Raising Rice Right platform. It is a niche but growing competitor in the specialty rice aisle.
• Lundberg Family Farms: Lundberg is a US specialty rice brand focused on organic, whole-grain, and sustainably grown rice varieties. It competes with Ben's Original's Whole Grain Brown Rice line for the health-conscious consumer segment and shares distribution in natural and conventional grocery channels.

Direct peers

• Tilda Rice: Tilda is a UK-based premium basmati and specialty rice brand with strong European distribution. It overlaps with Ben's Original's flavored grains, basmati, and microwave rice pouch lines, particularly in the UK and EU markets where both brands compete for shelf space.
• Riviana Foods (Minute Rice, Mahatma, Success): Riviana Foods, owned by Ebro Foods, is the most direct US competitor to Ben's Original with Minute Rice (instant rice), Mahatma, and Success Rice brands. It competes head-to-head in branded parboiled, instant, and boil-in-bag rice categories across the same grocery and mass channels.
• Riceland Foods: Riceland Foods is a US rice farmer cooperative that produces and markets branded and private-label rice, competing with Ben's Original in dry long-grain rice. As a farmer-owned cooperative, it offers scale advantages in raw rice sourcing and competes on price in the same retail channels.

Broad incumbents

• Conagra Brands: Conagra is a diversified packaged food incumbent with Healthy Choice, Marie Callender's, and frozen rice/meal products. It competes with Ben's Original Street Food and Ready Rice lines in the ready-meal category and shares grocery and club-channel distribution.
• Mars, Incorporated (parent): Mars is the privately held parent conglomerate of Ben's Original with diversified food, pet care, and confectionery operations. Mars Foods segment includes Uncle Ben's/Ben's Original alongside other food brands, providing distribution and capital scale that shape Ben's Original's competitive position.
• Kraft Heinz: Kraft Heinz is a broad incumbent in convenient meal solutions with microwaveable rice and pasta products (e.g., Minute Rice under license, Velveeta Cheesy Skillets, ready meals). It competes with Ben's Original for shelf space in convenient meals and benefits from larger marketing budgets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bensoriginal
• YouTubeyoutube.com/BensOriginalUSA
• Facebookfacebook.com/bensoriginalusa
• Instagraminstagram.com/bensoriginalusa
• Pinterestpinterest.com/bensoriginal_us/_created

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Ben’s Original