History
One of Megmilk Snow Brand’s predecessors was the Hokkaido Cooperative Creamery Association, which was created as a producers’ organization with the aim of saving dairy farming in Hokkaido, where the region faced predicaments brought on by food policies following the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923. Inheriting the pioneering spirit of those who strove to create a new foundation for dairy farming through the strength of cooperation, we have been involved in Japan’s dairy farming industry for over 90 years.
1925 Launched sales of Snow Brand Hokkaido Butter
Our history began with Hokkaido butter
as we were founded. After the completion of our modernized factory in 1926, we launched full-scale sales of Snow Brand Hokkaido Butter.
1928 First in Japan to begin mass production of cheese
From around 1928, we began research and trial sales of cheese. In 1933, we built a cheese plant in Toasa (Hokkaido) and began production. As soon as the product went on sale in 1934, it became so popular that it was regularly out of stock, and in no time at all the plant became the first large-scale cheese production facility in Japan.
1930 Opening up the future of milk through our research
Our R&D Department was established in 1933. As a dairy farming research institute, we engaged in research into processing technology, components and lactic acid bacteria. Later, we opened our Sapporo Research Laboratory, Technical Research Institute (now the Milk Science Research Institute in Saitama) and Cheese Research Laboratory (Yamanashi) allowing us to engage in full-scale research projects.
1950 Snow Brand Milk Products Co., Ltd. founded
1951 Launched sales of Vita Milk
Infant formula product made from powdered milk, sugar, and vitamins
1954 Mass production of 6P Cheese
When production first started, all product was packaged by hand but we achieved mass production by incorporating an automatic filling machine
1962 Launched sales of Camembert Cheese
1963 Launched sales of Snow Brand Coffee
Originally sold in a triangle-shaped pack
1972 Zenkoku Nohkyo Milk Whole Sales Co., Ltd. established
* 1974 Changed name to Zen-Noh Chokuhan Co., Ltd.
Launched sales of String Cheese
Cheese Research Laboratory (Yamanashi) created.
Japan Milk Net Co., Ltd. established
Snow Brand Milk Products Co.,Ltd. food contamination incident
Snow Brand Food Co., Ltd. fraudulent beef labeling incident
Launched sales of Mainichi Hone Care MBP™
Contains MBP™, which is extracted from milk proteins and helps increase bone density.
The beverages and deserts business of Snow Brand Milk Products Co., Ltd., Zen-Noh Chokuhan Co., Ltd. and Japan Milk Net Co., Ltd. merged to form Nippon Milk Community Co., Ltd.
Nippon Milk Community Co., Ltd. and Snow Brand Milk Products Co., Ltd. merged, establishing the joint holding company Megmilk Snow Brand Co., Ltd.
Megmilk Snow Brand Co., Ltd. conducted a merger by absorption with Nippon Milk Community Co., Ltd. and Snow Brand Milk Products Co., Ltd.
Launched sales of Gasseri SP Strain Yogurt as a foods with function claims
This product contains Lactobacillus gasseri SBT2055, a proprietary lactobacillus of Megmilk Snow Brand.
Drafted Megmilk Snow Brand Group Long-term Vision Started new value creation initiative
Improved all types of margarine for household use so that they no longer use partially hydrogenated oil, which contains large amounts of trans fats.
Launched sales of personal-type “Gasseri SP Strain Yogurt” as a “foods for specified Health Uses (FOSHU)”
Launched sales of Nyu-San-kin* Helve Yogurt as a “foods with function claims”.
