Morinaga to Acquire My/Mochi Frozen Ice Cream Brand

Morinaga & Co., the parent company of Irvine-based Morinaga America Inc., said it is acquiring My/Mochi Ice Cream this year to expand its snack offerings.   

The Japanese confectionery maker, known for its Hi-Chew candies, expects the mochi ice cream brand to be its ticket into the U.S. frozen dessert market. The U.S. novelty ice cream market reaching an estimated $8.6 billion in sales in 2025, according to data from Circana.  

My/Mochi, founded in Los Angeles in 1993, reported $80 million in sales last year.   

“In welcoming My/Mochi to the Morinaga family, we see a tremendous opportunity to build a sustainable snacking business positioned for future growth,” Morinaga America’s Chief Executive Teruhiro “Terry” Kawabe said in a statement.   

Morinaga aims to enhance My/Mochi’s product development capabilities while rounding out its own portfolio. Though operating under the Morinaga umbrella, My/Mochi will remain headquartered in LA led by CEO Craig Berger.   

Morinaga America, established in Irvine in 2008, has a goal to more than double U.S. sales to $250 million by 2030.