Research Diets
Research Diets, Inc. manufactures custom purified "OpenSource Diets" and BioDAQ food/liquid intake monitoring instrumentation for preclinical laboratory animal research. Founded 1984, the New Brunswick, NJ-based, employee-owned firm serves academic, pharmaceutical, and government researchers across 65 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1984
- HeadquartersNew Brunswick, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Research Diets does
Research Diets, Inc. is a privately held, New Brunswick, NJ-based manufacturer founded in 1984 by Dr. Edward Ulman that specializes in custom purified "OpenSource Diets" and complementary BioDAQ scientific instrumentation for preclinical laboratory animal research. The company's core product line is fully disclosed, purified-ingredient diet formulations — built from individually traceable ingredients rather than variable grain-based chows — that can be precisely customized for metabolic disease research, drug testing, and nutritional studies. Its flagship D12492 high-fat diet (60 kcal% fat), introduced in 1999, has become a gold-standard model for diet-induced obesity research with approximately 9,981 scientific publications and over 3 million kg produced through 2023. The BioDAQ GEN3 food and liquid intake monitor measures episodic feeding behavior in singly housed rodents, providing a complementary hardware data-acquisition platform.
The company operates a consultation-led, direct-sales go-to-market backed by 11 full-time Ph.D. nutritional scientists and a network of 22+ certified regional distributors covering 65 countries. Revenue streams include one-time sales of in-stock and custom OpenSource Diet formulations (with standard carton sizes of 2.5/5/12.5 kg), BioDAQ hardware sales, gamma irradiation services for barrier facilities, and custom test-compound blending down to ppm/ppb precision. Pricing is quote-based with volume discounts, and the company explicitly avoids impersonal online ordering in favor of pre-sale scientific consultation. As of October 31, 2024, Research Diets transitioned to 100% employee ownership through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) following founder Ulman's 40-year tenure, marking a significant ownership change while preserving continuity of management under President Matthew Ricci, Ph.D.
The firm is self-funded with no disclosed external investment, operates from a three-building campus in New Brunswick, NJ, and employs over 60 people. Its strategic positioning rests on three reinforcing assets: (1) a database of over 30,000 unique diet formulations accumulated over four decades, (2) reference-standard brand recognition in metabolic disease research underpinned by D12492's deep publication footprint, and (3) deep scientific advisory capacity through its Ph.D. bench across nutrition, pharmacology, food science, neuroscience, and genetics. Customer segments span academic and research institutions (primary), pharmaceutical manufacturers, and government agencies worldwide.
Research Diets firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Research Diets
- Legal name
- Research Diets, Inc.
- Website
- https://researchdiets.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1984
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Research Diets, Inc. manufactures custom purified "OpenSource Diets" and BioDAQ food/liquid intake monitoring instrumentation for preclinical laboratory animal research. Founded 1984, the New Brunswick, NJ-based, employee-owned firm serves academic, pharmaceutical, and government researchers across 65 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Research Diets industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Laboratory Animal Research Diets
- NAICS
- Animal Food Manufacturing (3111), Animal Food Manufacturing (31111)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Manufacturing, Private Label & Co-Manufacturing for Animal Diets (HLAMAHAO)
Keywords
Where Research Diets is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New Brunswick
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Research Diets business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- OpenSource Diets Sales: Sale of purified ingredient custom and in-stock diets for laboratory animal research. Includes standard carton sizes of 2.5 kg, 5 kg, and 12.5 kg. Custom diets are priced on an order-by-order basis. In-stock diet prices available upon request.
- BioDAQ Systems: Sale and installation of BioDAQ food and liquid intake monitoring hardware systems for monitoring singly housed mice or rats.
- Gamma Irradiation Services: Additional gamma irradiation service for barrier facilities at additional cost depending on quantity.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | In-stock diets with standard pricing |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Custom diet formulations |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Gamma irradiation service |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels23 records
Marketing channels6 records
Research Diets product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Research Diets manufactures and sells purified-ingredient OpenSource Diet formulas, both custom and in-stock, for laboratory animal research, with over 30,000 unique formulations in its database. The company also designs, manufactures, and sells the BioDAQ GEN3 Food and Liquid Intake Monitor, a hardware system that measures episodic ad libitum consumption in singly housed mice or rats. Add-on services include gamma irradiation for barrier facilities and homogeneous test-compound blending for pharmaceutical and toxicology studies.
Product overview
Research Diets offers two core product lines: OpenSource Diets (custom purified-ingredient diet formulas that are completely open and fully customizable) and BioDAQ GEN3 (food and liquid intake monitoring system for laboratory rodents). The OpenSource Diets portfolio includes standard purified control diets like AIN-76A, high-fat diet-induced obesity (DIO) series (D12451 at 45% fat, D12492 at 60% fat), and custom formulations. Add-on services include gamma irradiation for barrier facilities, test compound addition at precise doses, ketogenic diets, and vitamin/mineral deficient diets. BioDAQ provides complementary instrumentation for monitoring food intake in animal studies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- OpenSource Diets: Purified-ingredient diet formulas that are completely open and fully customizable for preclinical research in laboratory animal models.
- BioDAQ
Products and services
- OpenSource Diets Purified-ingredient diet formulas that are completely open and fully customizable for preclinical laboratory animal research, with over 30,000 unique formulations in the database. Sold as in-stock standard diets (including AIN-76A/D10001 and the D12450B/D12451/D12492 series) and as custom formulations with minimum 0.5 kg order quantities. Standard carton sizes are 2.5 kg, 5 kg, and 12.5 kg. Designed for academic, pharmaceutical, and government researchers conducting obesity, diabetes, fatty liver, cancer, immunology, and germ-free studies.
- BioDAQ GEN3 Food and Liquid Intake Monitor Hardware system that measures the episodic ad libitum food and liquid intake activity of singly housed mice or rats in their home cage for biological data acquisition. Designed for laboratory animal researchers who need precise meal-microstructure and intake phenotyping to complement dietary intervention studies.
- Gamma Irradiation Service Gamma irradiation (10-20 kGy) of diets for use in barrier facilities, providing SPF-level or sterile animal facility compliance. Available as an additional charge depending on quantity, with some in-stock diets offered irradiated at standard prices.
- Test Compound Addition Service Service to homogeneously blend test compounds, medications, or nutrients into any diet formulation at precise doses down to ppm and ppb levels for pharmaceutical efficacy, toxicology, and pharmacokinetics studies.
Quantifiable outcome
- Purified diets are approximately 100 times cleaner than grain-based chows according to independent lab tests
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Research Diets
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Research Diets technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Research Diets partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
22 partnerships are on record, tiered regional.
- EP Trading Co., Ltd.regionalJapan distributor representing Research Diets interests. Located at Kagurazaka PLAZA Bldg. B1, Tokyo. Provides local service for custom and in-stock diet formulations in Japan.
- BrogaardenregionalEurope distributor representing Research Diets in European markets. Located in Lynge, Denmark.
- Biopike, LLCregionalChina distributor with cold chain logistics capabilities for proper diet storage. Offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Wuhan.
- SaeronBio Inc.regionalKorea distributor representing Research Diets interests. Located in Uiwang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea.
- Central Lab. Animal Inc.regionalKorea distributor located in Seoul, Korea providing local service for Research Diets products.
- RaonBioregionalKorea distributor located in Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea.
- Bio-Cando Inc.regionalTaiwan distributor. Located in Gui-Shan, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan.
- Taiwa Instrument Co. LtdregionalTaiwan distributor. Located in New Taipei City, Taiwan.
- Biochiefdom International Co., Ltd.regionalTaiwan distributor. Located in New Taipei City, Taiwan.
- BTL Biotechno Labs Pvt LtdregionalIndia distributor. Located in New Delhi, India.
- Labex CorporationregionalIndia distributor. Located in New Delhi, India.
- Biosys Corporation Pte LtdregionalSingapore and Malaysia distributor. Located at Peninsula Plaza, Singapore.
- ENCO ScientificregionalIsrael distributor. Located in Petach Tikvah, Israel.
- BioTAG Ltd.regionalIsrael distributor.
- Research BiolabsregionalUSA distributor. Located in Orlando, FL.
- Life Biotek MedikalregionalTurkey distributor. Located in Turkey.
- Bio Medical Scientific Services LLCregionalUnited Arab Emirates distributor. Located in Al AIN, UAE.
- Cedarlane CorporationregionalCanada distributor. Located in Burlington, Ontario.
- Sellex, Inc.regionalBrazil distributor with offices in São Paulo and Washington DC.
- Prion Lab SpAregionalChile distributor.
- GrobLab EIRLregionalChile distributor. Located in Santiago, Chile.
- Nutrimix de México S.A. de C.V.regionalMexico distributor.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Research Diets competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Inotiv (Envigo / Teklad): Largest direct competitor in the lab animal research diet market, formed through the merger of Envigo and Teklad. Sells Teklad purified and standard diets globally to academic and pharma researchers, overlapping directly with Research Diets' OpenSource Diets line.
- LabDiet / PMI Nutrition International: Major manufacturer of laboratory animal diets including standard chows and some purified formulations. PMI Nutrition is a key US-based competitor for academic and pharma research feed, comparable in target customer (rodent researchers) and product type.
- Dyets Inc. US-based custom purified diet manufacturer for laboratory animal research, focused on small-batch, custom-formulated diets. Highly comparable niche competitor to Research Diets' OpenSource Diets business, particularly for academic and NIH-funded labs.
- Bio-Serv: Manufacturer of custom purified and ingredient-defined diets for laboratory animals, including diet-induced obesity, toxicology, and pharmacology models. Direct niche competitor with similar custom-formulation model to Research Diets.
- SAFE (Scientific Animal Food & Engineering): French/European manufacturer of laboratory animal diets, including purified and custom formulations for rodent research. Comparable product range and similar academic/pharma customer base; competes in Europe via Research Diets' distributor Brogaarden.
- ssniff Spezialdiäten: German manufacturer of standardized and purified laboratory animal diets, including custom formulations for metabolic, toxicology, and nutritional research. Comparable in product scope and target research customers to Research Diets.
- Altromin: German manufacturer of laboratory animal diets and bedding, producing standard and purified diets for rodents used in academic and pharma research. Direct competitor in the European purified-diet segment.
Broad incumbents
- Charles River Laboratories: Large life-sciences services company offering research models, preclinical CRO services, and diet/feed for in-house colonies. Competes broadly with Research Diets through its Research Models and Services segment, though diet is not its primary focus.
Emerging players
- Taconic Biosciences: Provider of genetically engineered rodent models and associated research services for academic and pharma customers. Overlap with Research Diets' customer base in obesity/metabolic disease research, though Taconic's primary offering is models rather than diets.
Regional players
- Janvier Labs: French-based supplier of laboratory animal models and research diets, with a focus on European customers. Comparable product/customer overlap with Research Diets but primarily serves European markets through direct and distributor channels.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Research Diets social profiles
Digital presenceResearch Diets financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Research Diets leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Research Diets funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Research Diets M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Research Diets
What does Research Diets do?
Research Diets manufactures and sells purified-ingredient OpenSource Diet formulas, both custom and in-stock, for laboratory animal research, with over 30,000 unique formulations in its database. The company also designs, manufactures, and sells the BioDAQ GEN3 Food and Liquid Intake Monitor, a hardware system that measures episodic ad libitum consumption in singly housed mice or rats. Add-on services include gamma irradiation for barrier facilities and homogeneous test-compound blending for pharmaceutical and toxicology studies.
Is Research Diets a public or private company?
Research Diets is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Research Diets founded?
Research Diets was founded in 1984. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Research Diets based?
Research Diets is headquartered in New Brunswick, United States, in the North America region.
How does Research Diets make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. OpenSource Diets Sales are the primary driver. The others are bioDAQ Systems and gamma Irradiation Services.
Who are Research Diets's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Inotiv (Envigo / Teklad), LabDiet / PMI Nutrition International, Dyets Inc., Bio-Serv, SAFE (Scientific Animal Food & Engineering), ssniff Spezialdiäten and Altromin. Charles River Laboratories is listed as a broad incumbent. Taconic Biosciences is listed as an emerging player. Janvier Labs is listed as a regional player.
Does Research Diets have an API?
No public API is recorded for Research Diets.
What industry is Research Diets in?
Research Diets's product category is Laboratory Animal Research Diets. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAMAHAO, Manufacturing, Private Label & Co-Manufacturing for Animal Diets. Its NAICS code is 3111 and its SIC code is 2090.