Pulmuone Co. (017810 KS), South Korea's largest tofu maker, logged ₩107.8 billion (approximately USD 70.6 million) in cumulative U.S. tofu revenues through May 2026, a 16.8 percent jump from the same period a year earlier, as American demand for high-protein plant-based foods shows no sign of slowing.
The result puts Pulmuone Foods USA — the U.S. subsidiary anchored by the Nasoya brand since the company's 2016 acquisition — on pace to exceed the record ₩224.2 billion (USD 155 million) it posted for all of 2025, when revenues grew 12 percent year on year.
Water-Pack Leads All Categories
Water-packed tofu, which accounted for roughly 70 percent of the subsidiary's total tofu revenues at ₩79.9 billion, led all categories with a 24 percent year-on-year advance through May. High-protein varieties added ₩19.2 billion (+13 percent), while pre-seasoned and processed formats contributed ₩8.8 billion (+9 percent).
The company now distributes tofu across approximately 15,000 U.S. retail locations — including Walmart, Whole Foods Market, Kroger, Target, and Publix — a footprint that has helped Pulmuone maintain the No. 1 tofu brand position in the United States for 11 consecutive years.
Capacity Expansion Races to Meet Demand
To support the sales momentum, Pulmuone completed an expansion of its Ayer, Massachusetts manufacturing facility in March 2026, adding a production line capable of producing 9,000 tofu blocks per hour and effectively doubling the plant's output capacity.
A second expansion is under way at the Fullerton, California site, where a new silken-tofu line targeting restaurant chains and food-service operators is scheduled to come online later in 2026.
"Tofu is rapidly becoming an established part of American food culture," said Cho Kil-soo, CEO of Pulmuone Foods USA. "As more U.S. consumers seek healthier protein options and reduce meat consumption, tofu is increasingly becoming a mainstream food choice."
Investor Angle: High-Margin U.S. Leg Gaining Weight
The results underscore a broader durability in plant-based protein demand — specifically whole-food formats like tofu — that has proved more resilient than the processed meat-alternative category, which has seen sales flatten since the pandemic-era boom.
For Pulmuone's Korea-listed parent, the U.S. subsidiary's momentum matters beyond headline revenue. The company has navigated a more competitive domestic market in South Korea where private-label and discount formats have pressured margins. A deepening U.S. footprint offers a higher-margin international growth vector that analysts expect to weigh more heavily in second-quarter earnings.
On a full-year run-rate basis, the first-five-months pace of USD 70.6 million implies a 2026 annual total above USD 169 million — well beyond last year's USD 155 million record — assuming seasonality holds roughly in line with prior years.
Sources
- "Pulmuone's US tofu sales jump 17% on rising demand," The Korea Herald, June 19, 2026
- "American appetite for plant-based protein boosts Pulmuone Foods USA sales," The Korea Times, June 18, 2026
- "Pulmuone's US tofu sales jump 17% on rising demand," The Investor, June 19, 2026
