Who owns StarKist?
StarKist is owned by Dongwon Industries (South Korea, KRX: 006040), which has owned the brand since 2008.[1]
This ownership is reported in official statements but has not yet been matched to a regulatory filing.
Evidence: Dongwon Group: Business, Dongwon F&B (brand portfolio) and company history, Dongwon Industries Co., Ltd. Last checked .
Key facts
- Current owner
- Dongwon Industries Co., Ltd. reported
- Owned since
- Owner HQ
- 🇰🇷 South Korea, Seoul
- Origin
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Category
- Food › Meals & meal components › Canned & shelf-stable meals
- Parent ticker
- KRX: 006040
- Last verified
- · 1 sources
About StarKist
StarKist is a canned and pouch tuna brand sold in the United States. The Dongwon Group history lists the acquisition of StarKist in October 2008, and the group site now places StarKist under its Global businesses. The StarKist page says the brand introduced pouch-style tuna packaging to the US market and has widened its range to snack kits, salmon and chicken. The group states it has over 100 years of heritage.
Ownership timeline of StarKist
- 2008 – present Dongwon Industries [1] reported
Where StarKist sits in Dongwon Industries
Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.
Open the full Dongwon Industries ownership tree →
See the full Dongwon Industries brand portfolio (11) →
Other brands owned by Dongwon Industries
Dongwon Industries controls 11 brands on Brandtree, 8 of them in food.
Also in food
Other brands in canned & shelf-stable meals, and who owns them
The 73 brands in canned & shelf-stable meals on Brandtree belong to 42 owners. The largest is Thai Union, with 13; Dongwon Industries has 2.
| Brand | Owner | Owner based in |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken of the Sea | Thai Union | 🇹🇭 Thailand |
| Albert Heijn | Ahold Delhaize | 🇳🇱 Netherlands |
| Bonduelle | Bonduelle | 🇫🇷 France |
| Heinz Baked Beans | Kraft Heinz | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Aunt Nellie's | Seneca Foods | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Aldi (Nord) | Aldi Nord | 🇩🇪 Germany |
| Aldi (Süd) | Aldi Süd | 🇩🇪 Germany |
| 365 by Whole Foods Market | Amazon | 🇺🇸 United States |
About the owner: Dongwon Industries
Dongwon Industries is a publicly listed company headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, founded in 1969. Brandtree records 11 brands under its control, and it is listed as KRX: 006040.
Dongwon Industries is the business holding company of the Dongwon Group, a Seoul-based seafood and food group. It was established in April 1969, listed on the Korea Stock Exchange in March 1989, and in November 2022 merged with Dongwon Enterprise to become the group holding company. The group site places Dongwon F&B, Dongwon Home Food and Dongwon Farms under Food & Distribution, and StarKist under Global; the brands here come from the Dongwon F&B brand pages and the group site. Dongwon F&B's brand list also shows GNC, Chungeein and Beautick health products; they are left out here, GNC because it is a global supplements brand the page describes as having its own stores.
Dongwon Industries: full profile, brands and acquisition history →
🇺🇸 StarKist and other American brands
Brandtree records a controlling owner for 2,399 brands that began in the United States. 461 of them (19%) are now controlled by a company headquartered in another country, StarKist among them.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the parent company of StarKist?
The parent company of StarKist is Dongwon Industries, a publicly listed company headquartered in South Korea.
Is StarKist American or South Korean?
StarKist originated in the United States, but it is owned today by Dongwon Industries, which is headquartered in South Korea. So StarKist is an American-origin brand under South Korean ownership.
Since when has Dongwon Industries owned StarKist?
Dongwon Industries has owned StarKist since 2008.
Is StarKist still owned by Dongwon Industries?
Yes. As of 3 October 2026, StarKist is still owned by Dongwon Industries. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.
Sources (1) & corrections
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
- [1] Dongwon Group: Business, Dongwon F&B (brand portfolio) and company history — Dongwon Industries Co., Ltd., Official document; retrieved 3 October 2026.
Report a correction Opens a pre-filled GitHub issue. See our corrections policy.