Megmilk Snow Brand

Megmilk Snow Brand Co., Ltd. (雪印メグミルク株式会社), formerly Snow Brand Milk Products Co., Ltd. (雪印乳業株式会社) is one of the largest dairy companies in Japan.

In 2000, more than 14,000 people got sick from old milk sold by Snow Brand contaminated with the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, the worst case of food poisoning in Japan. A criminal probe into the company led to some senior managers being charged with professional negligence. Two were convicted, and were given suspended sentences. The company was criticized for failing to recall their product quickly.

In January 2003, the company merged with two farm organizations, the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations and the National Federation of Dairy Cooperative Associations, as the Nippon Milk Community Co. and eventually rebranded as the Megmilk Snow Brand Company. Megmilk Snow Brand has a dairy museum in Sapporo.