I. Rice & Company

What I. Rice & Company does

I. Rice & Company is a privately held food ingredient manufacturer headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, founded in 1884. The company produces dessert and beverage ingredients across seven core product categories: sauces and syrups, ice cream ingredients, ice cream toppings, bakery fillings and specialties, Italian ice bases, frozen beverages, and beverage bases and flavors. I. Rice & Company serves three primary customer segments in the U.S. market: the foodservice industry (restaurants, coffee shops, bars), commercial bakeries (wholesale and retail bakeries, snack manufacturers, and distributors), and commercial ice cream manufacturers.

The company operates a 145,000-square-foot manufacturing facility that was expanded in 2021, with stated annual production capacity exceeding 200 million pounds and a portfolio of over 2,400 active SKUs. Production infrastructure includes more than two dozen kettles and high-speed bottling lines that support both small artisan batches and large industrial volumes. The minimum order quantity is generally 2,000 pounds per product, with the company positioning itself to serve customers ranging from single-pallet to full-truckload orders. A dedicated R&D team develops customized bakery, beverage, and frozen dessert formulations, including expertise across FDA, SQF, GMP, HACCP, kosher, clean label, and natural compliant standards.

I. Rice & Company operates a B2B go-to-market centered on a network of U.S. distributors, supplemented by direct engagement with commercial customers and dedicated private-label and contract manufacturing services. Product launches in 2023 and 2024—including new water ice bases, a Concord Grape Pastry Filling, and a Cranberry Multipurpose Filling—indicate ongoing portfolio refresh activity. Pricing is structured on a unit-pricing basis with packaging offered in bottles, bag-in-box, pails, drums, and totes. Certifications including FDA 21 CFR Part 110, SQF Level 2, GMP, and Kosher Pareve support private-label customer requirements. The company markets primarily through its website, social media channels, an annual charity golf outing, and news releases. No external investors, parent entities, or public markets are referenced; the company appears independently owned.

Name

I. Rice & Company

Legal name

I. Rice & Company, Inc.

Website

https://iriceco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1884

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

I. Rice & Company is a private food ingredient manufacturer founded in 1884, producing dessert and beverage ingredients—including sauces, syrups, bakery fillings, ice cream ingredients, and Italian ice bases—for U.S. foodservice operators, commercial bakeries, and ice cream manufacturers via distributors and private-label arrangements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Ingredient Manufacturing

NAICS

Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing (3114), Food Manufacturing (311)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Fruit & Vegetable Ingredients for Food Manufacturing (Diced, Slices, Fillings, Toppings) (AFAKAFAI)

Keywords

• Dessert ingredients
• Beverage ingredients
• Bakery fillings
• Ice cream ingredients
• Food manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Food Ingredient Products: Manufactures and sells a diverse line of food ingredients including sauces, syrups, ice cream ingredients, toppings, bakery fillings, Italian ice bases, frozen beverage bases, and beverage flavors. Products sold through distributors and direct to commercial customers. Also offers private labeling and contract manufacturing services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

I. Rice & Company manufactures and sells a diverse line of food ingredients including sauces, syrups, ice cream ingredients, ice cream toppings, bakery fillings, Italian ice bases, frozen beverage bases, and beverage flavors. Products are sold through a network of distributors across the United States, with direct engagement for commercial customers and additional private labeling and contract manufacturing services offered.

Product overview

I. Rice & Company is a food ingredient manufacturer established in 1884, offering a diversified portfolio of dessert and beverage ingredients for the foodservice industry, commercial bakeries, and ice cream manufacturers. The product lineup consists of seven core product categories: Sauces & Syrups (fruited syrups, chocolate syrups, and ready-to-use syrups for various applications); Ice Cream Ingredients (bases, Alpha ice cream flavors, variegates, and fruit purees); Ice Cream Toppings (hot fudges, caramels, fruit toppings, and wet walnut); Bakery Fillings & Specialties (tart, fruit, Bake Fast, Oven Proof, and cream fillings, plus coatings and glazes); Italian Ice Bases (fruit concentrates and purees for water ice); Frozen Beverages (slush and frozen cocktail bases); and Beverage Bases & Flavors (concentrated juices and soft drink flavors with custom flavor system capabilities). Products are sold through distributor networks across the United States and via private label and contract manufacturing arrangements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sauces & Syrups Versatile sauces and syrups including fruited syrups (Strawberry, Banana), chocolate syrups made with imported Natural and Dutch cocoa powders, and ready-to-use syrups for fountain, vending, and snow cone applications (Blue Raspberry, Cotton Candy, Cherry, Lemon-Lime). Specialty flavors include S'mores, Mocha, White Chocolate Peppermint, Raspberry, Mango, and Pumpkin Pie. Designed for coffee, bar beverages, fountain, vending, and snow cone applications for foodservice operators.
• Ice Cream Ingredients Premium ice cream ingredients including bases (Chocolate, Dulce de Leche, Salted Caramel, Pumpkin, Eggnog, Cookie Dough, Chocolate Chip), Alpha ice cream flavors (Strawberry, Coffee, Watermelon), variegates, fruit purees, and solid pack fruits. Designed for commercial ice cream manufacturers and foodservice operators producing ice cream offerings.
• Ice Cream Toppings Ice cream toppings including hot fudges and caramels using imported European cocoas, fruit toppings (Fountain Fantasy Toppings with high fruit content and Ready-To-Use Toppings), and Wet Walnut Topping with the highest portion of walnut per batch in the market. Designed for ice cream manufacturers and foodservice operators.
• Bakery Fillings & Specialties

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Javo Beverage Company: Mid-sized US manufacturer of coffee, tea, and cocktail bases, syrups, and specialty beverage ingredients sold through foodservice distributors. Closely comparable size and product type to I. Rice's sauces, syrups, Italian ice bases, and frozen beverage product lines.
• Fruitcrown Products Corporation: US-based manufacturer of fruit-based ingredients, variegates, sauces, toppings, and bakery fillings supplied to foodservice and industrial customers. Overlaps directly with I. Rice's fruit purees, fruit toppings, sauces, syrups, and bakery fillings.
• Dawn Foods: Specialty bakery ingredient manufacturer supplying fruit fillings, glazes, icings, and bases to retail and wholesale bakeries, snack manufacturers, and foodservice operators. Directly comparable to I. Rice's bakery fillings and specialties category.
• Batory Foods: US-based ingredient distributor and contract manufacturer offering sweeteners, dairy powders, flavors, and food ingredient systems to food and beverage manufacturers. Comparable distribution-led model and contract manufacturing/private-label capability that overlaps with I. Rice's go-to-market.
• Virginia Dare Extract Co. Long-established US flavor manufacturer producing extracts, flavors, and beverage/bakery ingredient systems for foodservice and industrial customers. Comparable heritage profile to I. Rice and similar customer base in bakery, beverage, and ice cream channels.

Broad incumbents

• Torani: Large, established US syrup and sauce manufacturer serving coffee shops, foodservice, and retail. Significantly larger and more brand-recognized than I. Rice, but competes in the same sauces/syrups/specialty beverage ingredient category.
• Monin: Global French-founded syrup, sauce, and beverage base producer distributed through foodservice and retail worldwide. Larger and internationally diversified but a direct head-to-head category competitor in syrups and beverage flavors.
• Kerry Group: Global taste and nutrition company producing flavors, sweet taste systems, and food ingredients for bakery, beverage, and ice cream manufacturers. Vastly larger than I. Rice and competes for private-label and ingredient system contracts in every category I. Rice serves.
• International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF): One of the largest global flavor and ingredient houses, providing flavors, colors, and food ingredient solutions across bakery, beverage, dairy, and frozen dessert categories. Significantly larger scale than I. Rice but competes directly for the same foodservice and industrial customers.
• Sensient Technologies: Global manufacturer of flavors, colors, and food/beverage ingredient systems with dedicated ingredients and flavors serving bakery, beverage, and confectionery customers. Much larger competitor with overlapping flavors and ingredient product portfolios.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/iriceandco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/i.-rice-&-company-inc.
• Instagraminstagram.com/iriceandco?igshid=MzRIODBiNWFIZA

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 I. Rice & Company