Tehran Province White & Traditional Cheese Producers | Iranco
Ten cheese families, UF lines on Fath corridor, 17-plant database and Molavi / Anbar Naft wholesale
B2B guide to UF, feta, Liqvan and lactic cheese plants across 16 Tehran counties — Pegah and Mihan to Varna, Safadasht and 4–8°C cold-chain distribution.
Geography and Tehran Province in the cheese chain
Cheese processing in Tehran Province is recognized as the most concentrated consumption hub, linking raw-milk supply chains and the country’s central dairy clearing hub. Production and trade are organized around three axes: mega-plants with membrane and ultrafiltration, industrial cheese and traditional brining lines, and wholesale, brokerage, and cold-chain distribution markets.
Infrastructure along southern and western transit corridors — Fateh Expressway, old Saveh road, Shahriyar plain, Malard, Pakdasht, and Varamin — reflects proximity to dairy farming poles and densely populated centers at once.
Ten-way cheese variety taxonomy
| Type | Raw material | Processing | Texture | Salt / ripening |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UF cheese | Standard cow milk | Membrane concentration before coagulation | Compact, paste-like | 2–3%; ready to eat |
| Feta | Cow or mixed milk | Curd breaking / UF | Semi-firm, sliceable | 3–5%; brine storage |
| Iranian white | Pasteurized cow milk | Enzymatic coagulation / UF | Cohesive, mild spongy | 2.5–4%; short ripening |
| Liqvan | Pure sheep milk | Traditional curd, sieve pressing | Brittle, large eyes | 8–12%; 90–180 days |
| Tabrizi | Cow–sheep blend | Rennet coagulation, mould pressing | Semi-firm to hard | 6–10%; minimum 60 days |
| Traditional / sheep | Cow or sheep milk | Classic coagulation, chess mould | Variable, curd grain | Saturated brine |
| Goat cheese | Goat milk | Acid–enzymatic coagulation | Soft chalky, white | Mild salting |
| Lactic | Low-fat cow milk | Starter acidification | Spongy, elastic | Under 2%; no long aging |
| Low-salt | Processed milk | Filtration, osmotic control | Soft gel-like | Under 1.2% |
UF technology and traditional lines
Membrane ultrafiltration (UF)
Pasteurized milk passes through polymer membranes; alpha-lactalbumin and beta-lactoglobulin retained in retentate; 15–25% higher conversion yield and homogeneous texture for aseptic and IML packaging — base for white and feta at Pegah, Pak, and Mihan on the Fateh axis.
Traditional Liqvan and Tabrizi
Non-concentrated process with mechanical whey drainage and heavy-brine ripening; native sheep-milk lipase and proteolysis create sharp flavor and distinct eyes — Atabakhsh, Varna, and Mollavi brokerage.
Lactic and low-salt
Rapid acid coagulation without long aging; Tandis, Choopan, and Sabah lines meet cardiovascular-health and low-sodium demand.
Packaging and authenticity
Shift from 17 kg tins to easy-open metal tubs and authenticity codes for sheep cheese; less fat oxidation in capital warehousing and easier exports to Qatar and Russia.
16-county coverage matrix
| County | Coverage | Dominant role | Hubs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tehran | 100% | UF, wholesale, micro-distribution | Fateh, Mollavi, Oil depot |
| Eslamshahr | 100% | Mass UF and feta production | Saveh road, Mihan |
| Malard | 100% | Specialty processing, 13 kg tins | Safadasht, Dehak |
| Shahriyar | 95% | UF, traditional, lactic | Haft Juy, Choopan |
| Pakdasht | 90% | Mould, foodservice | Abbasabad, Sharifabad |
| Robat Karim | 90% | Lactic, flavored feta | Nasirabad |
| Varamin | 85% | Industrial brining | Puinak, Varna |
| Pishva | 85% | Integrated farming and industry | Shameh Shir |
| Rey | 75% | Cold store, packaging | Kahrizak, Baqershahr |
| Damavand / Firuzkuh | 75% | Highland goat and sheep cheese | Mountain pastures |
| Baharestan | 70% | Refrigerated transit | Saveh road |
| Qods / Qarchak | 60% | Cold logistics / workshops | Industrial towns |
| Pardis / Shemiranat | 40–50% | R&D, premium retail | Lavasan, Qasran |
Active company database
| Unit / brand | City | Activity | Main products | Export |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pegah Tehran Pasteurized Milk02166808372 · tehran.pegah.ir | Tehran (Fateh) | Plant, exports | UF, Iranian white, feta, low-salt | Active |
| Pak Pasteurized Dairy02160940000 · pakdairy.com | Tehran (Fateh) | Processing and packaging | UF white, feta, traditional brined | Active |
| Madi Dairy (Mimas)02166808541 · mimas.ir | Tehran (Fateh) | Production and distribution | Iranian white, Liqvan, Tabrizi, lactic | Active |
| Mihan Food Industries Complex02157524 · mihan-food.com | Eslamshahr | UF megacomplex | UF, white, feta, lactic | Export |
| Tin Dairy Industries (Damdaran)02126402203 · damdaran.ir | Shahriyar | Industrial complex | UF white, traditional sheep, Liqvan | Active |
| Choopan Dairy Industries02122577250 · choopan.com | Shahriyar / Malard | Processing and distribution | UF feta, lactic, fresh traditional | Active |
| Drain Powder (Calin)02165420025 · calindairy.com | Malard (Safadasht) | Specialty cheese processing | Natural white, cubed feta | Export |
| Bornalaban Dairy02165425300 · bornalaban.com | Malard | Soft mould processing | Mould white, mould-ripened | Regional |
| Doomas Dairy02167391000 · doomasdairy.com | Malard (Dehak) | Tins and moulds | 13 kg tin feta, mould white | Bulk |
| Tandis Dairy Products02156390065 · tandisfood.ir | Robat Karim | Dairy processing | Lactic, white, low-salt | Active |
| Alima Dairy ProductsRobat Karim, Nasirabad | Robat Karim | Specialty cheese production | Flavored feta, fresh white | Regional |
| Tehran Shehdad Milk (Varna)02136226541 · Varamin | Varamin | Dairy complex | Iranian white, Liqvan, UF | Active |
| Shameh Shir Agro-Industry02136903090 · shamehshir.com | Pishva | Livestock and plant | Mould white, lactic, traditional | Active |
| Amut Pars (Taravat)02136425066 · info@taravatdairy.com | Pakdasht | Institutional packaging | Iranian white, mould feta | Active |
| Sabah (Fajr Golestan)02188713952 · sabahdairy.ir | Tehran / East | Tins and vacuum | UF feta, lactic, tin Liqvan | Active |
| Atabakhsh09143327476 · atabakhshdairy.com | Tehran (logistics) | Sheep cheese exports | Super Liqvan, tin Tabrizi | Export |
Distribution, brokerage, and cold chain
| Distributor | Holding | Logistics hub | Cheese portfolio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bani Chav Iranians | Solico (Kalleh) | Fateh Expressway | White, feta, UF, lactic, low-salt |
| Pegah Bazargostar | Pegah | Fateh 7th | White, UF, feta, Liqvan |
| Ghasem Iran Distribution | Minoo | Special Karaj road | Chain white and feta |
| Golpakhsh Aval | Golrang | West Tehran | Pasteurized mould, vacuum |
Market, brokerage, and trends
UF and mould-packed cheeses move through refrigerated micro-fleet networks; Liqvan, Tabrizi, and bulk tins are priced at Mollavi, Hazrati Saray, Sahebjam, and Mohammadiyeh markets. Oil depot street (Abdolmajid Ervani) is the wholesale center for UF cartons and vacuum packs for hotels and restaurants; Berelian Passage is the exchange for registered traditional cheese agencies.
Rising raw-milk costs push Fateh lines to maximize UF efficiency (cutting raw milk below 4.5–5 kg per kg of cheese); at the same time demand has grown for lactic and low-salt products and authenticity-coded sheep packaging.
Development outlook
The west and southwest — Fateh and Safadasht axis — anchor UF and nationwide logistics; the southeast — Varamin and Pakdasht — secures mould and traditional raw supply; districts 11 and 12 of the capital retain wholesale and brokerage for tin Liqvan and Tabrizi. Smart filtration, cold-chain monitoring, oxygen-barrier packaging, and diet-oriented varieties are the future competitive focus.
Keeping market share requires integrating industrial UF production with modernization of traditional supply and a 4–8°C distribution network across all 16 counties.
Iranco’s team can connect you with verified players in this chain.