Nanak Foods

What Nanak Foods does

Nanak Foods (legally Punjab Milk Foods Inc.) is a Canadian food manufacturer, founded in 1997 by Gurpreet Arneja (President) and Vineet Taneja (CEO), that specializes in traditional dairy-based South Asian food products including paneer, ghee, dahi (yogurt), khoa, lassi, frozen appetizers, and mithai (traditional sweets). The company self-identifies as North America's largest federally-approved Indian dairy, operating from a headcount of 51–100 employees at its Surrey, British Columbia headquarters and primary plant, with a secondary FDA-approved manufacturing facility in Bellingham, Washington, and a 280,000 sq. ft. facility under development in South Surrey. Manufacturing uses automated paneer production lines, Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) technology for frozen SKUs, and in-house R&D laboratories to develop and test products.

The company generates revenue through wholesale CPG hardware sales, with products stocked across major North American retailers including Loblaws, Walmart, Costco, Sobeys, Save On Foods, Chalo Freshco, and Food Basics, supplemented by direct foodservice supply to restaurants, hotel chains, and catering operators and online availability via Amazon.ca. Internationally, products are distributed to retailers and importers in Singapore, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Mauritius, Hong Kong, Germany, the UAE, and Trinidad. Marketing is conducted via blog content and recipe-driven engagement, an active presence on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, and Twitter, and an email newsletter. Regulatory positioning is anchored on CFIA, FDA, and EU approvals and SQF Level 3 certification.

Ownership is concentrated among Canadian shareholders of South Asian descent with founder-family control, and the company is privately held with no evidence of external institutional or PE ownership. In October 2024, the company raised $5,000,000 from Pacific Economic Development Canada to support growth and capital projects.

Name

Nanak Foods

Legal name

Punjab Milk Foods Inc.

Website

https://nanakfoods.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Nanak Foods manufactures traditional Indian dairy products, frozen appetizers, and mithai sweets from Surrey, BC and Bellingham, WA facilities, distributing through Walmart, Costco, Loblaws, and ethnic grocers across North America and over 10 international markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Indian Dairy and Food Products Manufacturing

NAICS

Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115), Food Manufacturing (311), Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing (311412)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020), Beverages (2080), Food And Kindred Products (2000), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Ice Cream, Frozen Desserts & Novelties Manufacturing (AFAKAKAE)

Keywords

• Indian dairy products
• Frozen appetizers
• Traditional sweets
• South Asian foods
• Paneer manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Surrey

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Dairy Products Manufacturing & Sales: Nanak Foods manufactures and sells a wide range of traditional Indian dairy products including paneer, ghee, yogurt, khoa, and dairy-based foods through retail and wholesale distribution channels across North America and internationally.
2. Frozen Appetizers & Snacks: Production and sale of frozen Indian appetizers and snacks including samosas, pakoras, kebabs, and chaat items sold through retail grocery stores.
3. Indian Sweets (Mithai): Manufacturing and sale of traditional Indian confections and sweets including ladoos, burfi, gulabjamun, rasmalai, and kaju katli.
4. Foodservice & Wholesale: Bulk supply to restaurants, hotel chains, and catering service providers across North America.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Nanak Foods manufactures and sells a wide range of traditional Indian dairy products (paneer, ghee, yogurt, khoa, lassi), frozen appetizers and snacks (samosas, pakoras, kebabs, veggie bites), and Indian sweets/mithai (rasmalai, gulabjamun, burfi, ladoo, halwa). The company operates state-of-the-art CFIA, FDA, and EU-approved manufacturing facilities in Surrey, BC (Canada) and Bellingham, WA (USA), distributing through ethnic grocery stores, major retail chains, foodservice operators, and online channels across North America and internationally.

Product overview

Nanak Foods is North America's largest federally approved Indian dairy and food manufacturing company specializing in traditional dairy-based South Asian foods. Established in 1997, the company produces a diverse portfolio of products organized into five main categories: Dairy Products (including various types of Paneer, Ghee, Dahi/Yogurt, Khoa, and Lassi), Appetizers (including Samosas, Pakoras, Kebabs, Bites, Veggie Burgers, and other frozen snacks), Mithai/Traditional Sweets (including Rasmalai, Gulabjamun, Halwa varieties, Burfi, Ladoo, Kaju Katli), Beverages (including Lassi, Mango Lassi, Badam Milk, Golgappa Paani), and Breads. The company operates state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Surrey, BC (Canada) and Bellingham, WA (USA), with a new 280,000 sq. ft. facility under construction in South Surrey. Products are distributed across North America and internationally to countries including Canada, USA, Singapore, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Mauritius, Hong Kong, Germany, UAE, and Trinidad.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Paneer Fresh Indian cottage cheese made from rBST-free milk with ideal moisture content, smooth texture, and excellent sliceability. Manufactured in a state-of-the-art fully automated production line. Suitable for entrees, appetizers, tandoori, and barbecue cuisine. Available in regular, malai, cubes, and pre-fried cube varieties.
• Ghee Clarified butter obtained from milk, casein- and lactose-free. Available in regular and grass-fed varieties; the grass-fed version is keto-friendly and gluten-free.
• Dahi (Yogurt) Indian-style yogurt that is scoopable and can be lifted as a moon crescent from the cup. High in calcium and easily digestible. Available in regular, fat-free, and less-fat varieties.
• Khoa Concentrated milk used in preparation of Indian confectionery. Good source of protein and energy.
• Sweet Lassi Sweet yogurt drink made with skim milk, bacterial culture, and flavoring.
• Mango Lassi Mango yogurt drink that is fat-free, all natural, and probiotic. Tasty and refreshing.
• Badam Milk Drink

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• destinationone ConsultingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRecruitment partnership for hiring Industrial Maintenance Mechanic and Food Processing Technician positions at the Bellingham, WA facility. The recruiting firm manages the hiring process exclusively for these roles.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Heritage Foods: Major Indian dairy and frozen desserts company focused primarily on the Indian domestic market. Comparable in dairy product portfolio but with limited North American presence, making it more of a category benchmark than direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Dabur India: Large Indian FMCG conglomerate with a food portfolio including traditional Indian products. Operates at much greater scale and breadth than Nanak but competes for the same consumer and shelf space.
• Chobani: Major North American yogurt and dairy company. Adjacent competition in the yogurt/dahi space and demonstrates the scale a successful ethnic-adjacent dairy brand can achieve with mainstream positioning.
• McCain Foods: Global leader in frozen potato products and frozen appetizers. Competes for the same frozen foods retail shelf space and foodservice channels as Nanak's frozen appetizer portfolio.

Direct peers

• Vadilal Industries: Indian ice cream and frozen foods manufacturer with international distribution including North America. Overlaps with Nanak's frozen appetizer and dessert categories, particularly in the mithai and frozen snack segments.
• MTR Foods: India-based packaged food company specializing in ready-to-eat meals, frozen foods, and traditional Indian products, with growing international distribution. Comparable in product breadth and diaspora-focused positioning.
• Haldiram's: India's largest snacks and sweets brand, now exporting globally. Direct overlap with Nanak's frozen appetizers (samosas, pakoras) and mithai (gulabjamun, rasmalai) categories, competing for the same South Asian diaspora consumer with established North American distribution.
• Deep Foods (Deep Indian Kitchen): Manufacturer of frozen Indian meals, appetizers, and breads sold through mainstream North American retail including Costco and Whole Foods. Direct overlap with Nanak's frozen appetizer and bread categories serving similar South Asian and broader consumer segments.
• Amul: The largest dairy cooperative in India, now exporting ghee, paneer, and other dairy products globally including to North American ethnic retailers. Direct competitor in paneer and ghee, with much larger scale and brand recognition.

Emerging players

• Swad Food Products: Indian food products company specializing in frozen Indian foods and snacks distributed in North America through ethnic and mainstream grocers. Direct overlap in frozen appetizers and Indian specialty categories, but at smaller scale than Nanak.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NanakFoods
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/NanakTV/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/NanakFoods
• Instagraminstagram.com/nanak_foods
• TikToktiktok.com/@nanakfoods
• Pinterestpinterest.com/nanakfoods

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nanak Foods