Lifeway Foods, Inc.

Lifeway Foods, Inc. is an Illinois-based health food company founded in 1986, specializing in the production and marketing of probiotic-based, cultured, and functional dairy products. Headquartered in Morton Grove, Illinois, the company's mission is to nourish, nurture, and restore the world to health through the transformational power of probiotics, providing nutritious foods that improve health and well-being.

The company's flagship product is kefir, a tart and tangy cultured milk smoothie, offered in various forms including low-fat, non-fat, organic, and lactose-free options, as well as the ProBugs line for children. Lifeway also produces farmer cheese and recently introduced Probiotic Kefir Butter. Lifeway Foods is recognized as the leading U.S. supplier of kefir, holding an estimated 90% to 95% market share in the U.S. kefir market.

Under the leadership of CEO Julie Smolyansky, who became the youngest female CEO of a publicly held firm in 2002, Lifeway Foods has expanded its distribution throughout the United States and into international markets including Mexico, the UK, UAE, and South Africa. The company reported record full-year 2025 net sales of $212.5 million, marking a 13.7% year-over-year increase, and projected strong first-quarter growth for 2026. Recent initiatives include expanding distribution to Costco stores in the southwestern U.S. and applauding new federal dietary guidelines that highlight the benefits of fermented foods like kefir.