Want Want Milk
Dairy plant drink brand under Want Want Group
Last updated October 9, 2026
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Overview
Want Want Milk (旺仔牛奶) is a flagship dairy drink brand of Want Want Group, a Taiwanese food and beverage conglomerate. The brand is part of Want Want's dairy products business, which also includes flavored drinks and other dairy-based beverages. Want Want Group began in 1962 as I Lan Foods Industrial Company Limited in Yilan County, Taiwan, and later expanded into rice crackers and snacks. The Want Want brand was established in 1983, and the company entered the mainland China market in 1992. Want Want Milk is widely recognized in China and other markets for its sweet, shelf-stable milk drinks, often sold in small cans and bottles. The brand is owned by Want Want China Holdings Limited, which has been listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (stock code: 0151.HK) since 2008. Want Want Group operates over 100 manufacturing plants in China and two in Taiwan, employing over 60,000 people. Its products are sold in 77 countries and regions across Asia, Africa, North America, Central and South America, Oceania, and Europe. The group's business is divided into rice crackers, dairy products, beverages, snack foods, and other products. Want Want Milk remains a key product within the dairy segment, contributing to the group's position as one of Taiwan's largest food manufacturers.
History
Want Want Group originated in Taiwan, where I Lan Foods was established in 1962. The company’s early focus was rice-based snack food, a category that provided the foundation for the later Want Want brand. Rice crackers are made from a familiar staple ingredient and can be packaged, distributed and sold at scale, making them suitable for both everyday consumption and gift-oriented retail. The company gradually developed branded products rather than remaining a small regional food manufacturer. The business adopted the Want Want identity and expanded its commercial activities during the period when Taiwan-based manufacturers were increasingly looking toward mainland China. In the late 1980s, Want Want entered mainland China and began establishing local manufacturing and distribution operations. This was a decisive change in the company’s scale and market orientation. Instead of serving primarily the Taiwan market, the group developed a mainland production and sales network aimed at a much larger consumer base. During the 1990s and 2000s, Want Want broadened its portfolio beyond rice crackers. Dairy beverages, flavored milk and other drinks became important parts of the business, with the hot-kid milk line becoming one of the group’s most recognizable offerings. The company also added additional snack and confectionery categories. This diversification reduced dependence on one rice-snack format and allowed Want Want to use its manufacturing, logistics, sales and brand-recognition capabilities across multiple packaged-food categories. The group’s marketing approach emphasized a consistent visual identity. Its mascot, bright packaging and repeated Want Want branding made products easy to recognize in crowded retail environments. The company’s distribution model combined modern trade with traditional retail outlets, convenience stores, wholesalers and later e-commerce channels. Its products became particularly visible in mainland China and other Chinese-speaking markets, while international distribution extended to selected markets in Asia and elsewhere. Want Want China Holdings Limited was listed in Hong Kong in 2008. The listed company became the principal public reporting entity for the group’s food and beverage operations. Corporate disclosures describe a business with manufacturing, sales and distribution activities across mainland China, together with overseas sales. The company’s product architecture includes rice crackers, dairy products, beverages and other snack foods, and its operating model depends on high-volume branded consumer-goods distribution. Founder Tsai Eng-Meng has remained the group’s controlling figure and chairman. His public statements on cross-Strait political issues have periodically drawn media attention and criticism, creating a distinction between the company’s commercial brand and the founder’s personal public profile. Nevertheless, the group’s core identity remains that of a large packaged-food and beverage producer. Its strongest consumer associations are still rice crackers, dairy drinks, the Want Want mascot and widely distributed family-oriented snack products.
- 2008
Hong Kong listing
[2]Want Want China Holdings Limited becomes publicly listed in Hong Kong under stock code 00151.
- 1990
Expansion of mainland manufacturing and distribution
[1]The group expands local production and sales infrastructure in mainland China to support mass-market distribution.
- 1987
Entry into mainland China
[1]Want Want begins developing operations in mainland China, starting the transformation from a Taiwan-based producer into a cross-Strait food and beverage group.
- 1962
I Lan Foods is established in Taiwan
[1]The business that developed into Want Want Group begins in Taiwan as I Lan Foods, with a focus on rice-based food products.
Portfolio expansion into dairy and beverages
[1]The company develops dairy beverages, flavored milk and related drinks alongside its established rice-cracker and snack businesses.
Products and positioning
Mass-market, family-oriented packaged food and beverage products with strong recognition in Greater China.
Rice crackers
Want Want Senbei
The group’s signature rice-cracker family and one of its most widely recognized product platforms. The products are positioned as packaged snacks and are sold in individual packs, larger household formats and gift-oriented assortments. Their rice-based format connects the brand to its original manufacturing heritage and remains central to Want Want’s visual and commercial identity.
Dairy beverages
Hot-Kid Milk
A prominent dairy-drink line associated with Want Want’s expansion beyond rice snacks. It uses the group’s childlike mascot and family-oriented branding and is distributed through mass retail and convenience channels. The line helped establish Want Want as a broader food and beverage company rather than a specialist rice-cracker producer.
Milk and yogurt drinks
Want Want dairy beverages
A wider portfolio of milk, yogurt and flavored dairy drinks produced and distributed under the Want Want brand system. These products extend the company’s presence into refrigerated and ambient beverage occasions and use the group’s established family-oriented packaging and retail distribution capabilities.
Packaged snacks and confectionery
Want Want snack foods
A collection of additional snack, candy and confectionery products that complements the rice-cracker franchise. The range supports seasonal, gift and everyday-snacking occasions and allows the group to occupy more shelf space across Chinese retail channels.
Controversies
Brand decisions
2008
List the group’s principal operating company in Hong KongStrategyBackground
The group required a public corporate structure to support its scaled mainland food and beverage operations.
Action taken
Want Want China Holdings Limited listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Aftermath
The listing established a public reporting platform for the group and gave investors access to its packaged-food and beverage business.
1987
Enter mainland China and build a local operating baseStrategyBackground
The company sought to move beyond Taiwan’s domestic market and reach a substantially larger consumer base.
Action taken
Want Want developed mainland manufacturing, sales and distribution operations.
Aftermath
Mainland China became the group’s principal operating market and supported the later expansion of its snack and dairy portfolio.
- Broaden the portfolio from rice snacks into dairy beveragesProduct launch
Background
Dependence on rice crackers created an incentive to add products that could serve different consumption occasions and retail categories.
Action taken
The group developed milk, yogurt and flavored dairy beverages, including the Hot-Kid line.
Aftermath
Dairy became a major part of Want Want’s consumer identity alongside its original rice-snack business.
Sources6 sources
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