Calbee Moves Production of Takoyaki Balls to U.S. Processing Plants
Calbee America Inc., a division of Japanese snack maker Calbee, plans to move production of its Takoyaki Ball snack products to America within the next month, according to an announcement shared with Food Processing this week.
The company’s snack processing facilities in Fairfield, Calif., and Senatobia, Miss., will inherit responsibilities for producing the corn puffs, which aim to replicate the authentic taste of sweet and savory, grilled octopus dumplings, a popular Japanese street food. Although “tako” means “octopus,” the company noted that the snacks are 100% vegetarian, gluten-free and soy-free.
Calbee expects to be able to keep up with consumer demand more effectively through the move, and the Takoyaki Ball product line grew at 305.5% over the last 52 weeks ending Aug. 10, 2025, according to Spins/Circana data cited by Calbee. Furthermore, “Asian snacks are no longer reaching a niche audience, as mainstream consumers across the country — and around the world — are embracing global flavors,” said Melanie Plaz, Calbee’s VP of marketing.
About the Author
Andy Hanacek
Senior Editor
Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.