History
since1922
Glico's history
The Origins of innovative and creative mind
In 1919, Mr. Ri-ichi Ezaki - the firm's Founder -, tested and confirmed that oyster broth contains generous amounts of glycogen. Based on this result, he took the necessary steps to commercially offer food products incorporating glycogen and therefore, spread its healthful benefits to the world. Underlying this goal was the fact that glycogen extract had contributed to Mr. Ri-ichi Ezaki’s son overcoming the symptoms of typhus.
In due time, the nutritious confection “Glico Caramel” was introduced into the marketplace and Glico came up with the objective of "Enhance health through food!".
1922-1946
Glico was established on February 11, 1922, the day that “Glico Caramel”, in its distinctive red box, was offered to the public for the first time at the Mitsukoshi Department Store in Osaka. As demand grew, factories were built outside of Japan too, starting with Dalian, China. However, all domestic and foreign facilities were completely destroyed by the end of the Second World War in 1945.
1947-1971
Remarking on the destruction he observed, Mr. Ri-ichi Ezaki stated, “Though war destroyed all else, the remaining asset is Glico itself”. First, the production of “Bisco” was revived. Following this, the “Glico Caramel” product was brought back and other long-selling products such as Almond Chocolate, PRETZ, Giant Cone, and Pocky were successively introduced afterwards.
1972-1996
As the Japanese economy recovered, a focus on the development of desserts emerged and resulted in the introduction of “Putchin Pudding”,“Café au Lait”, “Panapp”, and “Seventeen Ice”. In addition, laboratory facilities were set up with full-scale research and development efforts that took place during the time.
1997-2021
As the world becomes more health-conscious, there is a growing demand for “functionality,” such as relaxation and cavity prevention, as well as “low calorie” and “sugar-free” products. In addition, with the advancement of informatization and globalization, Glico’s products can now be tasted around the world.
2022-
In 2022, Glico celebrated the 100th anniversary of its founding and established a new Purpose: “Healthier days, Wellbeing for Life.” The Glico Group will continue to take on challenges in the future by further evolving its commitment to health, which has remained unchanged since its founding.
