Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/WBZ NewsRadio
AYER, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Could the town of Ayer be the next tofu capital?
Nasoya, a global tofu company, recently revealed a $55 million expansion of its manufacturing facility in Central Mass., making them the largest tofu production line in the world.
The new 200,000 square foot plant will increase production to 400,000 pounds of tofu per day.
“This new line does about 9,000 pieces of tofu an hour,” plant manager Justin Li told WBZ NewsRadio.
The U.S. tofu market is estimated to be around $467.3 million. Ed Swart, director of retail sales, said that Nasoya contributes about 70% of those sales. The company also reported a 38% sales increase between 2022 and 2025.
Tofu's popularity has also been growing outside of plant-based diets.
“It has grown outside of people who still eat beef, but they want to eat a little bit healthier,” he said.
WBZ NewsRadio's Chaiel Schaffel (@CSchaffelWBZ) reports.