Goya Foods: 75 Years Of Providing Latino Food Staples To Hispanic Families Across The Country

24 May 2012

by StacyT

Earlier this year, Goya Foods joined First Lady Michelle Obama in an initiative called “MiPlato” which aims to encourage healthy eating habits in Hispanic communities. “MiPlato” is the Spanish-language version of the nutritional tool, “MyPlate,” which the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) launched in June of 2011 as a simple "how-to" graph for making good food choices. It replaced the Food Guide Pyramid first introduced in the early 1990s.

From humble beginnings 75 years ago and through to its newest venture with the First Lady, Goya Foods has built a business empire out of canned beans, tropical juices and other staples of Latin home cooking to become one of the most successful Hispanic-owned businesses in the country. With 16 warehouses and distribution centers, Goya employs 3,500 people, many of them Latinos, with 530 employees in Florida alone.

Goya Foods is a story of success, hard work and family unity.

13 Comments

MexicanDude May 24, 2012 at 11:21 am

Being from Mexico I'm more partial to "La CosteÃ±a" and "Herdez" myself when it comes to canned basics, but Goya is pretty good as well. It's great to read the history of it, thanks. I once read a book on the Bacardi family. It was fascinating.
AbeMartin May 17, 2012 at 11:47 am

I actually prefer Chifles platanos to Goya brand. Because they have less salt and more body than Goya but also because it is a WBE (Women's Business Enterprise and at MBE Minority Business Enterprise). Oh, yeah. They also cost less, especially at outlets like Save-A-Lot.
Lechiffre May 17, 2012 at 11:10 am

or african . since plantains are central to african nutrition just like rice is to china. They eat them cooked, fried, in the form of chips , fufu de platano etc..
binkyq in Montecito May 17, 2012 at 11:05 am

Yo soy ello Guavacho (white Guy) para a mi me gusta todos comidas de latinos. I'm a white guy who loves all latino foods.
jonscottintexas May 17, 2012 at 9:49 am

My partner is Puerto Rican and his mother taught me how to cook traditional rican food before she died. He says I am better than she was but still not sure. Hope I make her proud. I couldn't have done it without Goya.
AbeMartin May 17, 2012 at 9:34 am

I have bought Goya products for decades. I didn't realize that if I buy Goya beans, seasons, plantain chips, I must be a Hispanic.
GeorgiaVeteran May 17, 2012 at 9:26 am

1 can of Goya giant white lima beans + 1 can stewed tomatoes = a delicious, healthy, different vegetable recipe for the family.
Gay Iberian May 16, 2012 at 9:13 pm

Arroz cin gandules= pidgeon peas. I love it too!!! It's a traditional Xmas dish for Puerto Ricans.
amd02148 May 16, 2012 at 7:37 pm

I can't cook without my Sason!
Summer77 May 16, 2012 at 4:20 pm

I love rice with Gondulez Mmmm and some roast pork on the side Mmm Mmm Mmm :)
Alex Davila May 16, 2012 at 2:28 pm

Way to ruin a perfectly good & rare article about one of the most influential Latin companies in America w/ the stupid Taco Bell/Doritos slide show at the end.
Arcadio De Jesus May 16, 2012 at 1:54 pm

You don't know the whole story, tha Nanues started their business in San Lorenzo Puerto Rico, in an area name Barrio Espino, where their old house was still standing, when I left PR in 1966. Prudencio Unanue, was from Spain and Carolina was from San Lorenzo, PR, and they used to live very close to the Barrio Cayaguas of San Lorenzo, were I was born and raised, and I remember that My firts grade teacher, that was from that same area, used to talk about this things. This is the secon time in a couple of month, that have been reeding about the Goye Product, and is the secon time, that I am seeing, that neither one of the stories are right., before anyone, deside to talk about this kinds of stories, they should go and search, at the area of origin of the story, that asking people that don't know the whole story.
Gay Iberian May 16, 2012 at 1:47 pm

I LOVE GOYA PRODUCTS!! SI ES GOYA TIENE QUE SER BUENO!

Goya Foods: 75 Years Of Providing Latino Food Staples To Hispanic Families Across The Country

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