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From our start as a local whiskey distillery to becoming the Red Star Yeast brand you know today, explore our company’s historic timeline, spanning over 140 years of fermentation expertise and innovation.
Our story began in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as Meadow Springs, a distillery that made whiskey and gin. The company also specialized in the production of compressed yeast, a bi-product of distilling.
Map of the Milwaukee shoreline in 1882
Now known as the National Distilling Company, many improvements were made to the plant facilities. Our yeast was sold under several brands, but the major brand was Red Star.
The 27th Street plant in Milwaukee, WI.
Our first automobile was purchased for faster delivery, a vast improvement and more efficient than the horse-drawn equipment.
Our first delivery vehicle was a Ford Coupe
As America entered the Prohibition Era, yeast production became the sole focus and our name was changed to Red Star Yeast and Products Company.
During World War II, our newest product, active dry yeast, played a key role in feeding and boosting the morale of the troops overseas. By the end of the war, 5 million pounds of our yeast had been used in the Army’s mobile baking kitchens.
Baking technician testing quality of yeast | A mobile baking kitchen overseas
Hot roll mixes stole the hearts of postwar American housewives, and our packaging machines ran day and night to keep up with the demand for yeast. A new process was pioneered to maintain nitrogen inside the yeast packets, protecting the quality of the living yeast cells.
International expansion began in many countries including Brazil, Cuba, Columbia, and Guatemala. US acquisitions helped us grow from a regional company to a national supplier of consumer and industrial yeast. At one point, there were 24 national suppliers that dwindled down to just 4. We also began producing yeast for livestock feed and nutritional yeast for cereal and baby food.
The Red Star Yeast delivery truck fleet team
Our company began investing in non-yeast business acquisitions like Universal Foods Company, Stella Cheese and Chili Products Corporation. Our name was changed to Universal Foods Corporation to more accurately portray the company’s increasingly diversified product line.
Consistent success allowed us to list our stock on the New York Stock Exchange.
We acquired longtime competitor, Federal Yeast Company, solidifying our position as a major player in the yeast industry. Dozens more acquisitions occur over the next few decades. The company now included five major divisions: beverage, fermentation, cheese, import and specialty.
Our name was changed to Sensient Technologies Corporation, shifting the focus to specialized ingredients such as colors, flavors and other specialty chemicals.
A year into the new millennium, Lesaffre, a French-based global yeast company, acquired the Red Star Yeast division from Sensient Technologies Corp. Lesaffre Corporation (North America) bases its headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
A joint venture was formed with Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) to operate what is now known as Red Star Yeast, LLC, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Red Star Yeast brand is fully owned by Lesaffre.
A state-of-the-art yeast production plant was built in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a leading bio-processing and food ingredient center in North America. Our 2nd plant is located in Dothan, Alabama. The 27th Street plant in Milwaukee closed its doors permanently in 2005 after over a century of operation.
A 10th fermentation tank is added to the Cedar Rapids plant, making it the largest yeast production plant in the world.
Fun fact: In North America, almost 40% of bread is made with yeast produced at this plant.
Ceremonial ‘Baguette Cutting’ to celebrate the newly built 10th fermentation tank and becoming the world’s largest yeast production plant.
Lesaffre and Red Star Yeast are recognized for our superior quality, innovation, and unparalleled technical support. We push boundaries to reveal the full potential of microorganisms (yeasts, bacteria, fungi), with businesses across five continents focused in four areas – baking; food taste and pleasure; industrial biotechnology; and health care.
By placing fermentation at the heart of our businesses, we aim to contribute to better nourish and protect the planet.
– RED STAR YEAST –
We have a yeast for all of your at-home baking “kneads.” Explore our family of high-performing baker’s yeast products.
– Made with Red Star Yeast –
Browse our entire yeast product family.
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