Mark Smith
This article showcases our top picks for the best Illinois based Food Processing companies. These startups and companies are taking a variety of approaches to innovating the Food Processing industry, but are all exceptional companies well worth a follow.
We tried to pick companies across the size spectrum from cutting edge startups to established brands.
We selected these startups and companies for exceptional performance in one of these categories:
- Innovation
- Innovative ideas
- Innovative route to market
- Innovative product
- Growth
- Exceptional growth
- Exceptional growth strategy
- Management
- Societal impact
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Top Illinois Food Processing Startups
Data sourced from Crunchbase and SemRush.
Nature’s Fynd
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Nature’s Fynd is a food company producing a protein from a microbe discovered in the geothermal springs.
US Foods
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US Foods is a foodservice distributor that provides its customers with innovative food offerings and a suite of business solutions.
Factor_
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Factor is a subscription-based prepared meal delivery service that delivers dietitian-designed, chef-crafted meals.
Chowly
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Chowly provides innovative tech solutions to connect restaurant POS platforms with third-party online ordering solutions.
Mondelez International
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Mondelez International is a branded food and beverage company that specializes in snack foods such as biscuits, chocolate, gum, and candies.
Rise Gardens
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Rise Gardens is a smart indoor hydroponic gardening system.
Protein Bar
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Protein Bar is a fast food restaurant chain serving high protein food and drinks.
PRE Brands
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PRE Brands is a food processing company that specializes in providing grass-fed and finished beef products.
Here Holdings
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Here Holdings creates food and beverage products in Illinois using Midwest produce.
SuckerPunch Gourmet
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SuckerPunch Gourmet is a food company dedicated to bold flavor, all natural ingredients, and a touch of spice.
Simple Mills
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Delicious and nutrient-rich baking mixes made of simple ingredients you’ll fall in love with!
RXBAR
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RXBAR manufactures and distributes whole food fruit and nut energy bars that are rich in protein.
Kitchfix
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Kitchfix creates healthy prepared meals for amazing people in Chicago and surrounding suburb
Windward Brands
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Windward Brands offers dessert, ice cream, and frozen novelty food products.
The Eastman Egg Company
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They are building a better breakfast
Conagra Brands
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Conagra Brands is a packaged foods company.
Parts Town
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Parts Town is the fastest growing distributor of genuine OEM repair and maintenance equipment parts for the restaurant and foodservice.
Hearthside Food Solutions
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Hearthside Food Solutions is the industry’s largest food contract manufacturer, and also the largest private bakery in the US.
Morsel
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Morsel is an iOS and web application that connects chefs, sommeliers, mixologists, and their restaurants to media and diners.
Ingredion Incorporated
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Ingredion Incorporated is a leading global ingredient solutions provider to the food, beverage, brewing and pharmaceutical industries
Mead Johnson Nutrition
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Mead Johnson Nutrition manufactures and sells infant formula, children’s nutrition, and other nutritional products.
Kraft
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Kraft Foods is a grocery conglomerate that manufactures and markets a range of food and beverage products.
The Janee Hotel Group
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Expertise in Hotel Management The Janee Hotel Group has a proven track record as a hotel operator and has demonstrated.
Prommus Brands
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Prommus is a food and beverage company that specializes in the manufacturing, distribution, and selling of vegetable and fruit-based foods.
JBT Corporation
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JBT Corporation is a global technology solutions provider to the food processing and air transportation industries.
Dairy Farmers of America
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DFA is a milk marketing cooperative owned and served by farmers across the nation.
Evans Food Group
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Evans Food Group is a producer and supplier of private-label pork rinds for snack food brands
OSI Group
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OSI Group is the premier global supplier of custom value-added food products to the foodservice and retail food brands.
Saddleback Chocolates
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Saddleback Chocolates offers premium chocolates and classic equine gifts.
Sente Foundry
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Sente is an international startup investment and innovation platform.
Vintage Confections
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Vintage Confections specializes in custom lollipops, corporate branding, and gifts.
Noon Whistle Brewing
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Noon Whistle Brewing is craft brewery that produces craft beers and beverages.
Wrigley
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Wrigley is a leader in confections with a wide range of product offerings including gum, mints, hard and chewy candies, and lollipops.
Peacock Foods
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Peacock Foods is a focused food manufacturer and one of the largest providers of integrated supply chain.
Ferrara Candy
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Ferrara Candy is virtual tours of the making of Lemonheads, Red Hots, Gummies, Jawbusters, Boston Baked Beans and Atomic Fireballs.
Relish Works
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Relish Works is an innovation hub focused on challenging the status quo and pioneering the next evolution of the food industry.
Potbelly Sandwich Works
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Potbelly Sandwich Works is a restaurant chain that sells sandwiches through its shops while providing pick-up facilities for online orders.
Pactiv
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Pactiv manufactures and distributes food packaging and foodservices.
The Spice House
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The Spice House is a provider of food and beverage industry for spices,herbs, and seasonings.
Matrix Sciences International
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Matrix Sciences International can assist your company in potentially any area of Quality Assurance or Research & Development services.
Koch Foods
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Koch Foods is proud to be one of the largest poultry processors in the United States.
Keebler Foods
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Keebler Foods is a food processing company that offers branded cookies and crackers in the United States.
Bevolution Group
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Bevolution Group is a leading manufacturer of shelf stable and frozen foodservice beverage products.
The NutraSweet Company
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NutraSweet brand sweetener was discovered in 1965 at G.D. Searle and Company by researcher James Schlatter.
Silva International
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Silva International is a producer of spice ingredients, such as dehydrated vegetables, herbs, and fruits.
Conway Import Co. Inc
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Conway Import manufactures quality salad dressings and sauces for the finest hotels, airlines, cruise lines and restaurants internationally.
I Heart Keenwah
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I Heart Keenwah is a quinoa company, dedicated to bringing delicious snacks and pantry staples to the market.
Planters
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Planters is a snack food brand that produces nut based snacks.
Tootsie Roll
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Tootsie Roll is a food and beverage company located in Chicago.
Preferred Meals
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Preferred Meals is a provider of meals, fresh-prepared snacks and frozen-prepared snacks, entrees, and complete meals.
Hillshire Brands
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Hillshire Brands Company (NYSE: HSH) is a leader in branded foods.
East Balt Bakeries
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East Balt Bakeries produces buns, bagels, English muffins, tortillas, breads, and specialty bakery products.
Hill & Valley
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Hill & Valley is largest provider of Sugar Free and No Sugar Added bakery items.
Milkadamia
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Milkadamia is an online marketplace for food and beverage products.
Food Evolution
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Food Evolution specializes in custom food production, pizza dough, gourmet grab, and boxed lunches.
Frontera Foods Inc.
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Frontera Foods is a packaged foods businesses processing company.
Vosges Haut-Chocolat
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Vosges Haut-Chocolat is a Chicago-based luxury chocolate maker.
Sprout Living
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Sprout Living is a Company the purest organic and plant-based functional foods and supplements.
Wholesome Goodness
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Wholesome Goodness is dedicated to providing you and your family with simple, naturally delicious, high quality foods that are affordable.
Benestar Brands
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Benestar Brands operates as a holding company for a diverse range of leading snack products, including pork rinds and corn tortilla chips.
Urban Accents
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Urban Accents is a specialty food company that manufactures a full collection of products designed for use in gourmet cooking.
Gold Standard Baking
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Gold Standard Baking is a full service bakery specializing in a variety of laminated dough products.
National Pasteurized Eggs
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National Pasteurized Eggs is a large scale producer of water bath pasteurized eggs.
Cozzini
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Cozzini designs and manufactures food processing products.
Matt’s Cookie
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Matt’s Cookie, delicious local, gluten-free, organic cookies.
Conagra Brands – Wesson Oil Brand
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Wesson oil is a provider of cooking oil. It is useful for Grilling, Broiling, and Frying.
M&M Equipment Corp
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For nearly 30 years M&M Equipment Corp has operated as an industry leading food processing equipment dealer.
CookTek
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CookTek designs, engineers, manufactures, and markets induction cooking and heated delivery systems for commercial kitchens worldwide.
Kraft Macaroni Cheese
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From the classic blue box that started it all, to the delicious homemade taste of KRAFT HOMESTYLE, find the KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese product
Hometown Food Company
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Hometown Food Company is the producer and retailer of baking products in the United States.
Affy Tapple
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Affy Tapple is a producer and distributor of caramel dipped apples.
Azteca Foods
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Azteca Foods specializes in the refrigerated tortilla business with custom product resource services and distribution of food products.
Belmont Sausage Company
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Belmont Sausage Company is a family-owned meat and poultry processing facility located in Elk Grove Village, Illinois.
Nation Pizza and Foods
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Nation Pizza and Foods, LLC is a food production & manufacturing firm that produces baking and prepared food products.
Zuercher & Co.
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Zuercher & Co. is an importer and distributor of fine cheese products.
Food Marketing Support Services
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Food Marketing Support services provide claims support, focus group, sensory analysis, investment, product & consumer research development.
Crunchmaster
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Crunchmaster Crackers. In the Crunchmaster Community, everyone lives happy, healthy and gluten free.
Ralcorp
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Ralcorp Frozen Bakery Products, the leading provider of quality frozen bakery products to foodservice, retail and in-store bakeries.
Progressive Grocer
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Progressive Grocer, the voice of the retail food industry for nearly 100 years.
Sulpice Chocolate
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Sulpice Chocolat is a line of artisan, hand-painted chocolate bars. We are fair trade, non-GMO, gluten-free, and use vegan dark chocolate.
Labriola Baking Co
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Labriola Baking Co is a premium bakery of breads and artisan soft pretzels.
AH Blackmore
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Management Consulting – Manufacturing & Assembly
Oak State Products
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Oak State Products is manufacturer of cookies, bars and other baked foods.
Jones Natural Chews
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A Rockford, Ill.-based maker of all-natural dog treats and chews
Mama Tish’s International Foods
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Mama Tish’s International Foods, a manufacturer and distributor of frozen juice products such as Italian ices and sorbets.
Prater Industries
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Global leader in manufacturing processing equipment and systems for size reduction, separation, metering, compacting, and batch weighing.
Chopbox
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Chopbox is a ready-to-cook meal delivery service that offers a wide variety of recipes.
Lobster Gram
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Lobster Gram is a food and beverage company located in Chicago.
Siemer Milling Company
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Siemer Milling Company supplies wheat flour, wheat germ, bakery flours, cracker flour, muffin flour and bran to the foodservice industries.
Mac & Cheese Productions
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Mac & Cheese Productions offers opportunities for individuals to grow in environments they feel comfortable.
Sunshine Biscuits
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Sunshine Biscuits was an independent American baker of cookies, crackers, and cereals.
Pillsbury Baking
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Pillsbury Baking is a Food & Beverages company.
Mt. Pulaski Products
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Mt. Pulaski Products engages in custom grinding and pelletizing biomass crops in central Illinois.
Upper Crust Catering
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Upper Crust Catering is a provider of excellent homemade cuisine, prepared by Chef Mitch Morrell.
Proven Partners
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Proven Partners is a privately owned entity operating as an external Provider to Food, Nutrition and Medical Food companies.
R&F Laboratories
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Providing custom, basic, and applied microbiological services pertaining to the food industry.
IL Corn
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IL Corn is a food production company that spend every day working hard to make your farm profitable for your family’s future.
Meatmill
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Meatmill is the source of countless selections of the finest and freshest meats, seafood and specialty deli, delivered same day!
