What First Choice Ingredients does

First Choice Ingredients, Inc. (FCI) is a Germantown, Wisconsin-based B2B manufacturer of concentrated dairy flavor ingredients, founded in 1994 by Jim Pekar. The company produces high-impact, dairy-derived flavor concentrates — across six core lines covering cheese, butter, cream, milk, and cultured dairy, plus non-dairy specialty products for plant-based applications — using a proprietary fermentation process that leverages microorganisms and enzymes under controlled manufacturing conditions. The company claims flavor amplification up to 5–20x over untreated dairy (and up to 50–70x versus standard butter in the case of its Butter 5X concentrate), and has catalogued 8,600+ developed flavors. FCI operates three Wisconsin facilities totaling 60,000+ sq ft of production space and 20,000+ sq ft of R&D, and reports shipping 64M+ lbs of product annually.

FCI sells exclusively to industrial food manufacturers and processors across bakery/desserts, prepared meals, snacks, soups/sauces/dressings, nutritional foods/beverages, and plant-based applications. Its go-to-market is enterprise direct sales with a sample-driven qualification motion (free 4 oz evaluation samples), custom-quoted pricing tied to volume and certification requirements, and multi-year contract structures. Products are delivered in paste, powder, and liquid forms and can be tailored to Organic, Kosher (OU), Halal, Non-GMO, Vegan, and other regulatory/dietary specifications; certifications held include SQF Level 2, Kosher, Halal, Organic, and EU compliance.

Since Fall 2021, FCI has operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of dsm-firmenich (formerly Royal DSM), retaining its brand identity ("First Choice Ingredients, Where Flavor Begins" / "Your Dairy Concentrate Authority"). The DSM integration provides FCI access to the parent's global food-and-beverage customer base and bioscience toolbox (dairy enzymes, cultures, fermentation know-how). Pre-acquisition, FCI posted double-digit annual growth for over a decade and materially expanded capacity through the 2016 acquisition of an 83,000 sq ft Menomonee Falls manufacturing facility.

Name

First Choice Ingredients

Legal name

First Choice Ingredients, Inc.

Website

https://firstchoiceingredients.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

First Choice Ingredients is a Wisconsin-based B2B manufacturer of concentrated dairy flavor ingredients — butter, cheese, cream, milk, cultured dairy, and non-dairy — produced via proprietary fermentation technology. Acquired by dsm-firmenich in 2021, it serves global food manufacturers across bakery, snack, prepared meal, sauce, and plant-based applications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dairy Flavor Ingredients

NAICS

Flavoring Syrup and Concentrate Manufacturing (311930), Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Cheese Powder, Sauce & Flavor Systems Manufacturing (AFAHABAE)

Keywords

• Concentrated dairy flavors
• Dairy ingredient manufacturing
• Fermentation technology ingredients
• Food flavor concentrates
• Cheese butter flavors

Headquarters

HQ city

Germantown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Dairy Ingredient Sales: B2B ingredient supplier selling concentrated dairy flavors (butter, cheese, cream, milk, cultured dairy) to food manufacturers. Products sold in paste, powder, and liquid forms. Revenue generated from product sales with custom flavor development services included.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

First Choice Ingredients manufactures and sells concentrated dairy flavor ingredients (butter, cheese, cream, milk, cultured dairy, and non-dairy specialties) for food manufacturers and processors. Using proprietary fermentation technology, the company produces flavors in paste, powder, and liquid forms that deliver 5–20x the flavor impact of commodity dairy, with custom development and certifications including Organic, Kosher, Halal, Non-GMO, and SQF Level 2.

Product overview

First Choice Ingredients is a manufacturer of concentrated dairy flavors and ingredients, operating as a subsidiary of dsm-firmenich. The company's product portfolio is organized into six core product lines: Cheese Concentrates & Flavors (offering the largest library of cheese flavors with customization capabilities), Butter Concentrates & Flavors (featuring patented 5X butter concentrates including Butter 111504P), Cream Concentrates & Flavors (providing richness and texture), Milk Concentrates & Flavors (with heat-tolerant masking properties), Cultured Dairy Concentrates & Flavors (from buttermilk to yogurt profiles), and Non-Dairy Specialty Products (vegan alternatives using fermentation technology). All products can be customized to meet Natural, Organic, Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, NON-GMO, Halal, and Kosher requirements. Products are available in paste, powder, and liquid forms. The company also offers custom flavor development services and operates a spray drying pilot plant for rapid scale-up capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cheese Concentrates & Flavors The company's largest cheese flavor library, including American, Cheddar, Parmesan, Mozzarella, Gouda, Blue, Vegan and many other varieties. Available in paste, powder, and liquid forms and customizable to customer specifications. Used by food manufacturers producing baked goods, snacks, sauces, prepared meals, and dairy-free applications.
• Butter Concentrates & Flavors High-impact clean-label butter flavor concentrates including Sweet, Homestyle, Cultured, Lipolytic, Sautéed, and Caramelized varieties. Featured product Butter 111504P delivers 5X flavor impact vs. AA butter. Used by food manufacturers for cookies, cakes, candies, breads, rolls, and cheese-based applications. Available in paste, powder, and liquid forms.
• Cream Concentrates & Flavors Value-added cream products that add richness and provide smooth, creamy texture while masking unpleasant off-notes in food formulations. Includes Lipolyzed, Heavy, Caramelized, and Milky varieties, available in paste, powder, and liquid forms.
• Milk Concentrates & Flavors Authentic milk flavors with varying fat content and heat tolerance, providing masking properties across many applications. Includes Condensed, Cooked, and Sweetened Condensed varieties, available in paste, powder, and liquid forms.
• Cultured Dairy Concentrates & Flavors Cultured dairy flavors ranging from smooth and creamy to tart and tangy, used to add depth and oomph to food formulas. Includes Buttermilk (Acidic, Creamy Dairy), Cream Cheese, Sour Cream, and Yogurt varieties, available in paste, powder, and liquid forms.
• Non-Dairy Specialty Products Specialty plant-based products leveraging fermentation technology and dairy heritage to deliver authentic dairy taste without actual dairy. Includes Savory and Non-Dairy Dairy varieties for vegan and dairy-free applications. Available in paste, powder, and liquid forms.
• Toasted Cheese Concentrates Toasted cheddar and toasted Parmesan concentrates launched to deliver toasted cheese flavor nuances without the labor of toasting. Available in paste and powder form at various concentration levels for soups, sauces, dressings, prepared meals, sides, seasonings, and baked goods.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25% cost savings achieved in brioche bread recipe using butter concentrate
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Butter Buds: Specialty dairy concentrate manufacturer producing butter and other dairy flavor concentrates for food manufacturers. The most direct competitor to FCI in the concentrated butter/dairy flavor space, with similar B2B ingredient supply model.
• Edlong: Specialty dairy flavor house providing dairy, cheese, butter, and cultured flavor ingredients to food and beverage manufacturers. Directly comparable to FCI in customer base, product form (paste/powder/liquid), and B2B ingredient model.

Broad incumbents

• Kerry Group: Global taste and nutrition company with a substantial savory and dairy flavor portfolio serving food manufacturers. Operates at much larger scale than FCI with overlapping customer base and broader product range including dairy and cheese systems.
• FrieslandCampina Ingredients: Global dairy cooperative with a dedicated ingredients business supplying dairy proteins, lactose, and specialized dairy ingredients to food manufacturers. Comparable substrate (dairy) and customer base but at vastly larger scale and broader portfolio.
• IFF (International Flavors & Fragrances): One of the world's largest flavor and ingredient houses with a broad savory and dairy flavor portfolio. Competes with FCI for food manufacturer accounts, particularly multinational CPG customers, with significantly deeper R&D and global reach.
• Givaudan: Global leader in flavors and fragrances with a sizable savory and dairy flavor business serving food manufacturers. Comparable end customers and B2B model but operates at much greater scale and across broader product categories.
• Symrise: Major global flavor and nutrition company with dairy and savory flavor offerings for food processors. Overlaps with FCI in serving food manufacturers across bakery, snacks, and prepared foods with broader portfolio and larger R&D resources.
• ADM (Wild Flavors & Specialty Ingredients): Global food ingredient and flavor powerhouse with extensive savory and dairy ingredient capabilities. Competes for food manufacturer accounts across multiple categories with significantly larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Döhler: Global producer of natural flavors, dairy ingredients, and ingredient systems for food and beverage manufacturers. Comparable B2B ingredient model serving dairy, beverage, and bakery customers with both flavor and ingredient capabilities.

Others

• Sargento: Wisconsin-based cheese manufacturer and ingredient supplier. Adjacent rather than directly competitive — operates in dairy ingredient supply with overlap in cheese flavor expertise and Wisconsin dairy heritage, but focuses on cheese products more than flavor concentrates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fcingredients
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCrQ-pkeFnPvYF46e-f0Y5-w
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/first-choice-ingredients

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 First Choice Ingredients