Grande Custom Ingredients

What Grande Custom Ingredients does

Grande Custom Ingredients Group is the specialty whey protein ingredients division of family-owned Grande Cheese Company, headquartered in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. The company develops and sells a portfolio of seven functional whey protein ingredients — Grande Gusto, Festo, WPCrisp, Bravo, Primo, Ultra, and Durato — derived from the cheesemaking process using milk sourced from a dedicated network of Midwest producer dairy farms. Products are sold B2B to food manufacturers and private label brands and address formulation challenges across sauces, soups, dips, dressings, prepared meals, nutritional bars, meat applications, dairy products, beverages, and bakery, with published functional benefits including up to 90% protein lift in clear beverages, up to 20% fat and 25% calorie reduction in creamy applications, up to 5% yield gain in meat, and up to 66% moisture loss reduction in steam-table cheese sauces.

The business is anchored by a vertically integrated supply chain operating across approximately eight production facilities and a clean-label production process with zero chemical modifications, additives, artificial colors, preservatives, or bleaching. The commercial model is enterprise field sales: a U.S. state-by-state network of sales representatives is paired with in-house food scientists and formulation experts who engage R&D teams directly, supported by a sample request program, IFT FIRST expo participation, on-demand webinars, and a technical resource library. Certifications — including SQF, USDA, EU, Kosher Dairy, and Halal — enable international distribution. The company employs 501-1,000 staff and operates as a privately held subsidiary of Grande Cheese Company, which has been in business since 1941.

Name

Grande Custom Ingredients

Legal name

Grande Custom Ingredients Group

Website

https://grandecig.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Grande Custom Ingredients Group, the specialty whey protein division of Grande Cheese Company (founded 1941), develops and sells functional whey protein ingredients to food manufacturers and private label brands across sauces, soups, beverages, bakery, meat, and nutrition bar applications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Whey Protein Food Ingredients

NAICS

Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115), Food Manufacturing (311)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Whey Concentration & Protein Ingredient Manufacturing (WPC/WPI, Native Whey) (AFAHAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hydrolyzed Whey Proteins & Peptides Manufacturing (WPH, DH-controlled) (AFAHAGAH), Whey-Based Nutrition & Functional Blends (Sports, Medical, Infant/Young Child Premixes) (AFAHAGAI), Whey, Casein & Milk Protein Ingredient Manufacturing (AFAKAKAF)

Keywords

• Whey protein ingredients
• Functional food ingredients
• Dairy protein solutions
• Clean-label ingredients
• Food manufacturer ingredients

Headquarters

HQ city

Fond Du Lac

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Whey Protein Ingredient Sales: B2B sales of proprietary functional whey protein ingredients to food manufacturers, private label brands, and food processors. Products are sold in powdered form for incorporation into various food applications.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Grande Custom Ingredients Group develops and manufactures proprietary functional whey protein ingredients derived from the cheesemaking process, sold as powdered ingredients to food and beverage manufacturers and private label brands. The portfolio includes whey protein concentrates, isolates, hydrolyzed whey, whey protein crisps, and dried yogurt powders (brands Gusto, Festo, WPCrisp, Bravo, Primo, Ultra, Durato) that address texture, sodium/fat reduction, protein fortification, and clean-label formulation challenges in food applications.

Product overview

Grande Custom Ingredients Group offers a portfolio of functional whey protein ingredients for the food industry. The product line includes Grande Gusto (reduced-lactose whey for cheese applications), Grande Festo (hydrolyzed whey for meat applications), Grande WPCrisp (whey protein crisps for crunchy snacks), Grande Bravo (functional whey concentrate for creamy applications), Grande Primo (dried yogurt powder), Grande Ultra (whey protein isolate for clear beverages), and Grande Durato (whey concentrate for sweet baked goods). All products are clean-label, natural ingredients derived from the cheesemaking process using milk from Midwest dairy farms, with zero chemical modifications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Grande Gusto: Reduced lactose whey ingredient for replacing fresh, processed or powdered cheese in soups and cheese sauces, with sodium reduction up to 10%
• Grande Festo
• Grande WPCrisp
• Grande Bravo
• Grande Primo
• Grande Ultra
• Grande Durato

Products and services

• Grande Gusto Reduced-lactose whey ingredient that partially replaces fresh, processed, or powdered cheese in soups and cheese sauces. Reduces sodium by up to 10%, fat by up to 25%, and calories by up to 15% while enhancing cheesy flavor and umami notes. Designed for cheese sauce and soup manufacturers seeking clean-label sodium reduction.
• Grande Festo Hydrolyzed whey protein incorporated into meat spice blends, processed and ground meat products to enhance juiciness, texture, and umami flavor while increasing yields up to 5% without being classified as a filler or binder. Targeted at meat product manufacturers.
• Grande WPCrisp Whey protein crisp ingredient with 60-70% protein content and a clean, neutral flavor profile for crispy bars, snacks, protein bars, and cereals. Provides satisfying crunchy texture without added flavorings or coatings, and is enabled by a patented protein-to-starch balance formula.
• Grande Bravo Functional whey protein concentrate that partially replaces high-fat, high-calorie dairy ingredients such as heavy cream and cream cheese in creamy soups, sauces, dips, and dressings. Reduces fat by up to 20% and calories by up to 25% while providing superior water-holding capabilities and freeze-thaw stability for food manufacturers.
• Grande Primo Dried yogurt and cultured dairy product available in regular and Greek yogurt profiles that adds authentic yogurt flavor with rich, creamy textures to coatings, fillings, smoothies, dressings, and beverages while boosting protein. Shelf-stable with no refrigeration required.
• Grande Ultra Whey protein isolate (WPI) designed for clear protein beverages. Boosts protein content up to 90% with clean taste and clarity, maintaining flavor without turbidity or sediment formation in beverage applications.
• Grande Durato Proprietary whey protein concentrate formulated for sweet baked goods. Retains moisture and just-baked freshness for up to a week, replaces up to 100% of powdered dairy in cookies, cakes, muffins, and pastries. Features 18-month shelf life and freeze-thaw stability. Available with Kosher Dairy, Halal, USDA, and EU certifications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduces syneresis in yogurt applications with 2-4% inclusion
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Fonterra Co-operative Group: Fonterra's ingredients business supplies whey protein, milk protein concentrates, and functional dairy ingredients worldwide. Comparable product mix but vastly larger scale and global footprint.
• Saputo Ingredients: Saputo's ingredients division produces dairy ingredients including whey protein concentrates and isolates for food manufacturers. Comparable raw-material base and ingredient categories, with significantly larger corporate scale.
• Kerry Group: Kerry Group offers a broad portfolio of dairy-based functional ingredients and taste technologies to food manufacturers. Overlaps with Grande's clean-label, sodium/fat reduction solutions at a much larger scale.
• Lactalis Ingredients: Lactalis Ingredients leverages one of the world's largest dairy manufacturing bases to supply whey and milk-protein ingredients globally. Comparable product range but with significantly broader scale and multi-region distribution.
• Leprino Foods: Leprino is the largest mozzarella producer globally and a major whey-derived ingredient supplier. Comparable raw-material base (cheese whey co-products) and ingredient capabilities, though primarily known as a cheese manufacturer.

Direct peers

• Hilmar Ingredients: Hilmar Ingredients produces functional whey protein ingredients derived from cheese manufacturing, sold to food and nutrition manufacturers globally. Closely matches Grande's whey-from-cheese co-product model and B2B ingredient positioning.
• Glanbia Nutritionals: Glanbia Nutritionals is one of the largest global suppliers of whey protein ingredients (including WPC, WPI, and hydrolysates) serving food, beverage, and nutrition customers. It is the most direct competitor to Grande's specialty whey protein portfolio across applications.
• Agropur Ingredients: Agropur's ingredients division manufactures functional dairy proteins and whey fractions for food formulators across North America and internationally. Overlaps with Grande's portfolio in WPC, WPI, and dairy-based functional systems.
• Idaho Milk Products: Idaho Milk Products manufactures functional milk and whey protein ingredients for nutritional, dairy, and food applications. Closely comparable in scale, B2B focus, and emphasis on functional protein ingredients.
• Arla Foods Ingredients: Arla Foods Ingredients specializes in whey-based protein ingredients for infant nutrition, sports nutrition, and food applications. Directly comparable in product range (WPC, WPI, hydrolysates) and clean-label positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grande-custom-ingredients-group

Compliance9 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 Grande Custom Ingredients