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Canadian company Daiya, who specialise in making vegan cheese and other vegan alternatives to dairy such as Greek yoghurt and salad dressings, have been acquired for an eye watering $332 million.

The buyers are Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd (OPC). OPC is a Japanese pharmaceutical company with over 25,000 employees; earlier this year, OPC agreed a deal to acquire Neurovance, Inc — a clinical stage pharmaceutical company focusing on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

It’s clear to see that OPC are willing investors in rojects they believe in —so what do they see in Daiya?

“We believe this will be an important pillar for our nutraceutical business. With our shared values, vision and mission, together we will commit to the better wellness of people worldwide,” said Tatsuo Higuchi, President and Representative Director of Otsuka.

Daiya CEO, Terry Tierney, followed Higuchi’s statement up: “Joining the Otsuka family is an honour for all of us at Daiya.

“Our partnership with Otsuka enables us to leverage their expertise and vast resources to continue growing our line of great-tasting, allergy-friendly food products that have delighted consumers for over 10 years”.

Daiya was founded in 2008 and was one of the pioneers of vegan cheese as we know it; the company are one of the founding members of The Plant Based Foods Association, an organisation which sets out to ensure that the plant-based food industry has all the tools it needs to compete with the animal-based industry and to educate people about the good things that come as a result of a plant-based diet.