M.C.I. Foods

What M.C.I. Foods does

M.C.I. Foods, Inc., operating under the Los Cabos® Mexican Foods brand, is a U.S. frozen food manufacturer founded in 1957 and headquartered in Santa Fe Springs, California. The company produces frozen Mexican-style items — primarily burritos and wraps, including CN (Child Nutrition) labeled products certified for USDA school meal programs — and operates across multiple sub-brands (Cabo Classics, Cabo Primo, Cabo Real) alongside private label and co-packing service lines. Core technology centers on USDA-compliant frozen food manufacturing with documented meal component contributions (e.g., Meat/Meat Alternate and Whole Grain Rich grain equivalents) required for federal meal program participation.

M.C.I. Foods serves four institutional verticals — K-12 schools (primary), colleges and universities, healthcare facilities, and military dining operations — through a direct B2B sales motion with per-state product specification and sample request workflows on its website. The company participates in the USDA Donated Foods program, distributing products to low-income student populations through federal breakfast and lunch channels. It also offers contract manufacturing/co-packing for institutional customers requiring specialized frozen Mexican food production capacity.

The revenue model combines branded institutional sales, private label manufacturing, and contract co-packing services, with quote-based B2B pricing and no public rate cards. The firm is a privately held, family-owned business spanning four generations, with 101-250 employees. In October 2025, the company was subject to a USDA-announced recall of approximately 91,585 pounds of frozen breakfast burritos and wraps due to potential Listeria contamination originating from an external egg supplier; no illnesses were reported at the time of the recall.

Name

M.C.I. Foods

Legal name

M.C.I. Foods, Inc.

Website

https://mcifoods.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

M.C.I. Foods is a U.S. frozen Mexican food manufacturer (Los Cabos® brand, est. 1957) producing CN-labeled burritos and wraps for K-12 schools, colleges, healthcare, and military food service, plus private label and co-packing services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Frozen Food Manufacturing

NAICS

Frozen Food Manufacturing (31141)

SIC

Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Frozen Ethnic & International Meals (CRADADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Frozen Entrées & Complete Meals (CRADADAA), Frozen prepared meals & entrées manufacturing (AFAKAHAA)

Keywords

• Frozen food manufacturing
• Institutional food service
• Private label manufacturing
• Mexican frozen foods
• CN-labeled products

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Fe Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Private Label Manufacturing: Manufactures frozen Mexican food products under customer brands (private label) for institutional food service operators. Products include breakfast burritos, wraps, and other frozen Mexican food items.
2. Co-Packing Services: Provides contract manufacturing and co-packing services for food service operators and other food companies requiring specialized frozen Mexican food production capabilities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

M.C.I. Foods manufactures and distributes frozen Mexican food products — including burritos, wraps, and breakfast items — under the Los Cabos® brand and via private label/co-packing arrangements. The company primarily serves institutional food service operators in the United States, including K-12 schools, colleges and universities, healthcare facilities, and military bases, with CN-labeled products meeting USDA Child Nutrition program requirements.

Product overview

M.C.I. Foods operates under the Los Cabos® Mexican Foods brand, producing frozen Mexican food products since 1957. The company offers a portfolio of frozen burritos, wraps, and traditional Mexican dishes across multiple sub-brands (Cabo Classics, Cabo Primo, Cabo Real). Products include CN-labeled items for school food services under the USDA's National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs, as well as offerings for food service, healthcare, colleges & universities, and military markets. The company participates in the USDA's Donated Foods program and provides private label/co-pack services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cabo Classics: A sub-brand of M.C.I. Foods offering Mexican food products.
• Cabo Primo
• Cabo Real

Products and services

• Los Cabos Mexican Foods Frozen Mexican food products including burritos, wraps, and traditional Mexican dishes distributed to food service, healthcare, K-12 schools, and military markets under the Los Cabos® brand.
• Cheese, Cooked Sausage Crumbles (Made with Turkey) & Egg Breakfast Wrap

Named customers4 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• USDA Donated Foods ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerM.C.I. Foods participates in the USDA Donated Foods program, which supports food distribution to institutions serving low-income populations including schools and other community feeding programs.
• School Food Services (K-12)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides CN-labeled frozen Mexican food products to K-12 school districts participating in federal breakfast and lunch programs. Products are manufactured to meet specific meal pattern requirements and carry documentation of nutritional content contributions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Ruiz Food Products: Largest U.S. manufacturer of frozen Mexican food (El Monterey and Ruiz brands) including burritos, wraps, and breakfast items sold primarily through retail and food service. Directly comparable to M.C.I. Foods on frozen Mexican category, product format (burritos/wraps), and food service distribution model, but at materially larger scale.
• Don Miguel Mexican Foods: Manufacturer of frozen and refrigerated Mexican-style appetizers, burritos, and entrées for retail and food service channels. Directly comparable on product format, ethnic frozen category, and B2B foodservice go-to-market.
• Tasty Brands: Specialty frozen food manufacturer focused on K-12 school nutrition programs, supplying CN-labeled breakfast, lunch, and snack products to school districts. Closely comparable to M.C.I. Foods' primary vertical (K-12), CN-labeling capabilities, and institutional foodservice distribution model.
• Reser's Fine Foods: Co-manufacturer of fresh and frozen prepared foods including Mexican-style items, salads, and heat-and-serve entrees for foodservice and retail. Comparable on co-packing/private label capabilities, frozen Mexican category presence, and broad food service customer portfolio.
• Cedar Lake Foods: Frozen food manufacturer focused on ethnic and specialty meals (Mexican, Asian, breakfast) for foodservice channels including K-12 and corrections. Closely comparable in scale and category, with co-manufacturing and institutional focus.

Broad incumbents

• Michael Foods (Post Holdings): Diversified food manufacturer (eggs, refrigerated potato products, cheese) with deep K-12 and institutional food service presence. Comparable through K-12 institutional channel penetration, though product focus extends well beyond frozen Mexican.
• Tyson Foods (Prepared Foods): Large diversified protein and prepared foods manufacturer with a frozen breakfast and entrees portfolio sold through foodservice, including K-12 channels. Broad incumbent operating in the same institutional frozen foods segment.
• Conagra Brands (Frozen & Foodservice): Major packaged food company with a sizeable frozen meals/entrees portfolio and dedicated food service division serving schools, healthcare, and military. Overlaps with M.C.I. in frozen entrées and institutional food service distribution.
• Lamb Weston: Global leader in frozen potatoes serving foodservice and retail; representative broad frozen-food incumbent with deep institutional foodservice relationships relevant to K-12, military, and healthcare channels M.C.I. serves.
• J&J Snack Foods: Manufacturer of frozen novelties, churros, and Mexican-style snacks supplied to foodservice, convenience, and schools. Adjacent overlap through frozen Mexican/Spanish-style items and presence in school channels.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/m-c-i-foods-inc-

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 M.C.I. Foods