is a Japanese company that produces

vinegars Vinegar () is an aqueous solution of diluted acetic acid and trace compounds that may include flavorings. Vinegar typically contains from 5% to 18% acetic acid by volume. Usually, the acetic acid is produced by a double fermentation, converting ...

(including seasoned

rice vinegar Rice vinegar is a vinegar made from rice wine in East Asia (China, Japan and Korea), as well as in Vietnam in Southeast Asia. It is used as a seasoning, dressing, and dipping in many dishes, including sushi, jiaozi, and banchans. Some of its varia ...

balsamic vinegar Balsamic vinegar () is a dark, concentrated, intensely flavoured vinegar made wholly or partially from Must, grape must: freshly crushed grape juice with all the skins, seeds, and stems. Etymology The Italian language, Italian word (from Lat ...

s, and

wine vinegar Vinegar () is an aqueous solution of diluted acetic acid and trace compounds that may include flavorings. Vinegar typically contains from 5% to 18% acetic acid by volume. Usually, the acetic acid is produced by a double fermentation, converting ...

s),

mustard Mustard may refer to: Food and plants * Mustard (condiment), a paste or sauce made from mustard seeds used as a condiment * Mustard plant, one of several plants, having seeds that are used for the condiment ** Mustard seed, small, round seeds of ...

salad dressing A salad dressing is a sauce for salads, used on virtually all leafy salads. Dressings may also be used in preparing salads of beans (e.g., three bean salad), noodle or pasta salads and antipasti, and forms of potato salad. A dressing may even ...

s, authentic

East Asian East Asia is a geocultural region of Asia. It includes China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan, plus two special administrative regions of China, Hong Kong and Macau. The economies of Economy of China, China, Economy of Ja ...

sauces,

nattō is a traditional Japanese cuisine, Japanese food made from whole soybeans that have been Fermentation in food processing, fermented with Bacillus subtilis, ''Bacillus subtilis'' var. ''natto''. It is often served as a breakfast food with rice. ...

, and other food products. It is based in Handa,

Aichi Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,461,111 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the ...

, near

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...

History

The company was founded in Handa in 1804 by Matazaemon Nakano, who began producing rice vinegar using byproducts from the production of

sake Sake, , or saki, also referred to as Japanese rice wine, is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Despite the name ''Japanese rice wine'', sake, and indeed any East Asi ...

(rice alcohol). Nakano named his company the Mitsukan Group. In the late 1970s Mitsukan expanded from Japan into the United States and began acquiring regional

condiment A condiment is a preparation that is added to food, typically after cooking, to enhance the Flavoring, flavour, to complement the dish or to impart a specific flavor. Such specific flavors generally add sweetness or pungency, or sharp or piquant ...

companies. The group was officially registered as a corporate entity in July 1977. In 1995, in honour of its founder, the U.S. arm of the business changed its name to Nakano Foods. In 2004, the Mitsukan Group became The Mizkan Group Corporation, and Nakano Foods became Mizkan America.

Present

Mizkan's product range includes: vinegars, seasoned rice vinegars, balsamic vinegars, wine vinegars, mustards, jellies, salad dressings, and authentic Asian sauces. The company's CEO is Miwa Nakano, and its president is Yuko Nakano. In July 2012 the British company

Premier Foods Premier Foods plc is a British food manufacturer headquartered in St Albans, Hertfordshire. The group owns many well-known brands, including Mr Kipling, Ambrosia (food), Ambrosia, Bird's Custard, Angel Delight, Homepride cooking sauces, J. Lyons ...

sold its

Sarson's Sarson's is a brand of malt vinegar brewed in the United Kingdom. It is sold in pear shaped bottles with a flip top and the brand is currently owned by Mizkan. Sarson's also produces vinegar for Sainsbury's, 3663, Chef, Independent and Mizkan. ...

vinegar,

Haywards Haywards is a small hillside suburb in the Hutt Valley near Wellington, New Zealand. It is notable for its large electrical substation, which is the main switching point for the Wellington region, and the home of the North Island converter ...

pickled onion and Dufrais vinegar brands to Mizkan for £41m as part of a streamlining programme. Also in late 2012 the Branston pickle brand was sold to Mizkan. In May 2014, it bought the US

Ragú Ragú () is an American brand of sauces and condiments owned, in North America, by Mizkan and in the United Kingdom and Ireland by Symington's, a private-label food manufacturer. The sister product to Ragú, known as Raguletto, is produced i ...

and

Bertolli Bertolli is a brand of Italian food products produced by multiple companies around the world with the trademark owned by Japanese multinational Mizkan Holdings. Originating as a brand of extra virgin olive oil, in which it was the global marke ...

pasta and sauce brands from the British multinational

Unilever Unilever PLC () is a British multinational consumer packaged goods company headquartered in London, England. It was founded on 2 September 1929 following the merger of Dutch margarine producer Margarine Unie with British soap maker Lever B ...

for $2.15 billion.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Brand name condiments Companies based in Aichi Prefecture Condiment companies of Japan Food and drink companies established in 1804 Food and drink companies of Japan Japanese brands Japanese companies established in 1804