daiichikasei co.,ltd.

What daiichikasei co.,ltd. does

Daiichi Kasei Co., Ltd. (株式会社第一化成) is a privately held Japanese manufacturer of food ingredients and additives, founded in 1947 and headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. The company operates six manufacturing plants and a nationwide sales office network across Japan (Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Hiroshima, Sendai, Fukuoka), serving over 2,000 client companies in the food industry. Its portfolio spans three principal product categories: food additive preparations (including phosphates and caseinates), sauces and seasonings, and functional food materials — the last anchored by its proprietary SLAWP technology, which produces the modified whey protein "Genesis" ingredient line. Daiichi Kasei also operates a custom OEM premix business under the Premium Mix DK brand, supplying customer-specific formulation blends.

The company generates revenue through B2B ingredient sales and contract manufacturing services to food producers across multiple end-segments, including processed foods, dairy, and prepared meals. Pricing is product- and formulation-specific, with the OEM premix model creating recurring, formulation-locked demand. International activity is limited but present: certain overseas products are Thailand FDA-registered, and the company achieved FSSC 22000 food safety certification in March 2026, positioning it to serve export-oriented customers. Headcount stands at 211 employees and FY2025 revenue is reported at ¥13.0 billion.

Daiichi Kasei positions itself as a long-tenured specialty ingredient partner rather than a commodity supplier, leveraging proprietary processing technology, GMP-grade manufacturing infrastructure, and a broad product portfolio to maintain relevance across diverse customer applications. The business model combines catalog ingredient sales with custom formulation services, supported by recent investments in sales office relocations (Nagoya 2023, Sendai 2025), R&D leadership, and international food safety credentials.

Name

daiichikasei co.,ltd.

Legal name

株式会社第一化成

Website

https://daiichi-kasei.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Daiichi Kasei Co., Ltd. is a privately held Japanese food ingredient and additive manufacturer founded in 1947 in Kyoto, operating six plants and serving over 2,000 food industry clients with functional ingredients, additive preparations, sauces, seasonings, and custom OEM premixes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Ingredients and Food Additive Manufacturing

NAICS

Food Manufacturing (311), Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115), Mayonnaise, Dressing, and Other Prepared Sauce Manufacturing (311941), Other Food Manufacturing (3119)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialized Dairy Nutrition Base Powder & Premix Manufacturing (Vitamin/Mineral/Functional Premixes) (AFAHAHAJ)

Keywords

• Food ingredients manufacturing
• Food additive preparations
• Modified whey protein
• Custom premix blending
• Sauces and seasonings

Headquarters

HQ city

Kyoto (Fushimi)

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Food Ingredients and Additives Manufacturing and Sales: Manufactures and sells food ingredients, food additives, seasonings, sauces, and premixes to food processing companies. Revenue is generated through product sales of functional food materials, food additive formulations, sauces and dressings, and overseas products (Thailand FDA-registered). Major product categories include modified whey protein 'Genesis', phosphate salts, preservatives, pH adjusters, coloring agents, thickening agents, seasonings, sweeteners, and Premium Mix DK custom blends.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Daiichi Kasei manufactures and sells food ingredients, food additive preparations, seasonings, sauces, and custom-blended premixes to Japanese food processing companies. Its portfolio includes modified whey protein (Genesis), phosphate compounds, preservatives, pH adjusters, coloring agents, thickening agents, seasonings, sweeteners, and the custom Premium Mix DK line. The company operates six manufacturing plants and serves over 2,000 client companies across processed meat, seafood, prepared foods, confectionery, retort, noodle, dairy, and health food segments.

Product overview

Daiichikasei is a comprehensive food ingredient manufacturer offering a portfolio of functional food materials, food additive preparations, sauces/seasonings, and custom OEM products under the Premium Mix DK brand. The core offerings include: (1) Premium Mix DK - customized premixes optimized for customer manufacturing processes with QR code tracking; (2) Functional food ingredients including Genesis modified whey proteins, DAIICHI LACTO series, QOLacto protein isolates, Winning series for meat processing, and whey minerals; (3) Food additive preparations including phosphate compounds (Rinsan-en series), caseinate (Kaseron series), confectionery improvers, proteases, and retort quality enhancers; (4) Sauces and seasonings including sauces, dressings, and seasonings; and (5) Overseas products registered with Thailand FDA. The company operates 6 manufacturing plants producing various protein preparations, powdered additives, and liquid products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• プレミアムミックスDK (Premium Mix DK): お客様の食品製造プロセスに合わせてオーダーメイド提供するミックス製品
• ジェネシス (Genesis)
• 株式会社 ダイイチフーズ

Products and services

• Premium Mix DK (プレミアムミックスDK) Custom-blended premix product line tailored from raw materials to recipe, packaging, and labeling to meet each customer's food manufacturing process requirements. Features QR code-enabled advanced information display and diverse packaging options; targets food processing manufacturers seeking to reduce internal blending labor and waste.
• Genesis (ジェネシス) Modified Whey Protein Modified whey protein materials developed using Daiichi Kasei's proprietary SLAWP technology, available in multiple variants with different functional properties. Used by food manufacturers for protein fortification, texture, water retention, and emulsification applications.
• DAIICHI LACTO Series (ダイイラクト・シリーズ)
• QOLacto (QOLacto®)
• D-Protein-95
• Winning Series (ウイニングシリーズ)
• Whey Mineral (ホエイミネラル)
• Rinsan-en Series (リンサン塩・シリーズ) Phosphate Compounds
• Kaseron Series (カゼロン・シリーズ)
• ForMi Pro (フォーミープロ)
• DK Protease (DK プロテアーザ)
• RetoUp (レトアップ)
• Sauces, Sources, Dressings (たれ・ソース・ドレッシング類)
• Yeast Extract (酵母エキス) - A-jiaji and MaxiGust Series
• Overseas Products (Thailand FDA Registered) - 海外販売品（タイ国FDA登録許可製品）

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual sales of ¥13.0 billion (FY2025)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ajinomoto Co., Inc. Japan's largest amino acid and food ingredient manufacturer with a broad portfolio spanning seasonings, processed foods, and functional ingredients. Directly comparable to Daiichi Kasei in Japanese food ingredients/additives for processed foods, but operates at vastly greater scale and geographic reach.
• Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd. Major Japanese dairy product manufacturer with deep capabilities in milk proteins, whey protein ingredients, and food additives. Closely overlaps Daiichi Kasei's dairy protein franchise (DAIICHI LACTO, QOLacto, Genesis) and serves similar Japanese B2B customers in processed foods.
• Kyowa Hakko Bio Co., Ltd. Leading Japanese manufacturer of amino acids, nucleotides, and yeast extracts for food and beverage applications. Comparable to Daiichi Kasei in Japanese food additive ingredients and seasonings, with a broader international footprint.
• Fuji Oil Group Holdings, Inc. Japanese leader in plant-based proteins (soya, pea) and specialty oils/fats for food applications. Comparable to Daiichi Kasei in the broader functional food protein and ingredient space, with global operations including the Genesis-relevant protein technologies.
• Kaneka Corporation: Large Japanese chemical company with a significant food ingredients and additives business including emulsifiers and proteins. Comparable to Daiichi Kasei in functional food ingredients with substantially broader R&D and international scale.

Direct peers

• Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd. Japanese specialty food ingredient maker focused on emulsifiers, stabilizers, and functional food materials with custom formulation services. Highly comparable to Daiichi Kasei in custom premixes and functional food ingredients for Japanese food processors, with similar mid-sized B2B profile.
• Matsutani Chemical Co., Ltd. Japanese specialty food ingredient company producing resistant starch, dietary fibers, and other functional food materials. Direct comparable to Daiichi Kasei's functional food ingredients business serving Japanese B2B food processors.
• DKS Co., Ltd. Japanese manufacturer of surfactants, emulsifiers, and food additives with custom formulation capabilities. Closely comparable to Daiichi Kasei in food additive preparations and premix-style services for Japanese food processors.
• Ohashi Chemical Industries Ltd. Japanese food additive manufacturer producing phosphate compounds and seasoning preparations. Closely comparable to Daiichi Kasei's Rinsan-en phosphate series and overall food additive preparations business for processed meat and food manufacturers.

Regional players

• T.Hasegawa Co., Ltd. Japan's largest flavor and fragrance house with extensive seasoning, sauce, and premix capabilities. Comparable to Daiichi Kasei in flavor systems, sauces, and seasonings, with a broader flavor chemistry portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 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 daiichikasei co.,ltd.