What Milkground does

Milkground (妙可蓝多, SSE: 600882.SH) is China's first and largest cheese-focused A-share listed company, manufacturing and distributing a full cheese product matrix spanning immediate-consumption children's nutritional cheese, family table cheese, and food service/industrial ingredients. The company traces its roots to 2001 (predecessor Jilin Guangze Dairy) and pivoted decisively to cheese in 2015, acquiring the Tianjin Milkground company and Danone's Shanghai dairy factory, followed by A-share main board listing in 2018. Inner Mongolia Mengniu Dairy Group has been the controlling shareholder since 2021, and in July 2024 Milkground acquired 100% of Inner Mongolia Mengniu Cheese for RMB 447.68 million to consolidate the cheese business.

The company operates six modern production bases across Shanghai (Jinshan, Fengxian), Tianjin, Jilin, Changchun, and Inner Mongolia with combined annual capacity exceeding 160,000 tons — the largest cheese manufacturing footprint in China. Its technology base includes 57 cheese-related patents, proprietary aseptic room-temperature cheese stick technology (which won a China Dairy Industry Association Technology Progress Award), cheese flavor synergy mechanisms (Shanghai Science & Technology First Prize), CNAS-certified quality testing, and 10-level ultra-clean production lines. A 2007 partnership with France's R&R (Bailian) seeded foundational natural cheese know-how.

Milkground's business model is dual-channel B2C and B2B. B2C revenue — the majority — flows through approximately 7,800 distributors and 780,000–800,000 retail terminals nationwide, complemented by owned Tmall and JD.com flagship stores and the Shanghai 'Cheese Cottage' experience store. B2B revenue is generated through direct enterprise sales to restaurant, bakery, and food service customers including KFC, Pizza Hut, Paris Baguette, and Manji, plus 500+ additional chain accounts. 2024 cheese business revenue was RMB 3.757 billion (80.12% of main business), with net profit of RMB 1.14 billion (up 89.16% YoY). Marketing leverages celebrity endorsement (Sun Li since 2020), the 2025 Olympics and 2026 FIFA World Cup official cheese partner designations, and Southeast Asia export expansion.

Name

Milkground

Legal name

上海妙可蓝多食品科技股份有限公司

Website

https://milkground.cn

Company type

Public

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Milkground (妙可蓝多, SSE: 600882.SH) is China's largest publicly listed cheese company, manufacturing and distributing cheese products for children, families, and food service customers across B2C retail and B2B enterprise channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cheese Manufacturing

NAICS

Cheese Manufacturing (311513)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Cheese Manufacturing (AFAKAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Processed Cheese & Cheese Spreads Manufacturing (Slices, Loaves, Spreadable) (AFAHABAD), Ripened Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Semi-Soft, Hard & Blue) (AFAHABAB), Cheese Powder, Sauce & Flavor Systems Manufacturing (AFAHABAE), Grated, Shredded & Sliced Cheese Manufacturing (Value-Added Cuts) (AFAHABAF), Cheese Packaging & Portioning (Retail Packs, Snack Packs, Singles) (AFAHABAI)

Keywords

• Cheese manufacturing
• Dairy processing
• Food service supply
• Consumer cheese products
• Cheese snack products

Headquarters

HQ city

Pudong

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Consumer (B2C) Cheese Products: Sale of cheese products including cheese sticks, cheese slices, mozzarella, mousse cups, and other processed cheese products to individual consumers through retail channels, e-commerce platforms, and the company's own online stores. This constitutes the majority of revenue.
2. Food Service / Industrial (B2B) Products: Sale of cheese ingredients and dairy products to restaurants, bakeries, hotels, and food manufacturers including mozzarella, cream cheese, butter, and cheese sauces for culinary applications.
3. Dairy & Liquid Milk Products: Supporting business line including液态奶 (liquid milk) and other dairy products, though being transitioned away from as part of the focus-on-cheese strategy.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Milkground manufactures and sells a full matrix of cheese products across three product lines: Nutritional Cheese for Kids (即食营养系列, including flagship cheese sticks and gold-packed cheese sticks), Family Cooking Cheese (家庭餐桌系列, including cheese slices, mozzarella, cream cheese, and butter), and Food Service & Industrial Line (餐饮工业系列, including industrial mozzarella shreds, mascarpone, cream cheese, cheese sauce, and butter). The majority of revenue (~80%) comes from cheese business, sold through both B2C channels (e-commerce, distributor network, and experience store) and B2B channels (direct sales to restaurants, bakeries, and QSR chains).

Product overview

妙可蓝多是专注于奶酪研发、生产与销售的A股上市公司（600882.SH），已形成覆盖即食营养、家庭餐桌、餐饮工业三大产品系列的产品矩阵。即食营养系列包括奶酪棒、金装奶酪棒、高钙奶酪棒、成长酪乳等儿童营养奶酪产品；家庭餐桌系列包括奶酪片、马苏里拉奶酪、稀奶油、奶油芝士、黄油、涂抹奶油芝士等日常烹饪产品；餐饮工业系列包括原制奶油芝士、马斯卡彭奶酪、奶酪酱、高熔点奶酪丁、车达奶酪片/丝、稀奶油等B端专业产品。近年来还推出成人休闲奶酪系列（手撕奶酪、奶酪小粒、奶酪小三角等）和常温奶酪棒等创新产品，以及奶酪雪糕等跨界合作产品。公司在上海、吉林、长春、天津、内蒙古和林等地拥有6家现代化生产基地，年产能合计逾16万吨。

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 爱氏晨曦 (Arla): Strategic cooperation brand for dairy and cheese products; Arla is a Danish dairy cooperative, and Milkground has a partnership arrangement for cheese distribution under this brand.
• 澳醇牧场

Products and services

• Nutritional Cheese for Kids Series (即食营养系列) Nutritional cheese product line for children, including Cheese Sticks (奶酪棒), Gold-Packed Cheese Sticks, High-Calcium Cheese Sticks, and Growth Cheese Milk in multiple flavors and sizes. Uses barrier oxygen packaging and independent small packaging for ready-to-eat convenience.
• Family Cooking Cheese Series (家庭餐桌系列) Daily household consumer cheese product line including Cheese Slices (原味/高钙/减脂), Mozzarella Cheese, Whipped Cream, Cream Cheese, Butter, and Spreadable Cream Cheese for home cooking and family table use.
• Food Service & Industrial Line (餐饮工业系列) Professional B2B cheese product line for food service and industrial use, including Original Cream Cheese, Mascarpone Cheese, Cheese Sauce (Cheddar/French), High-Melt Cheese Cubes, Cheddar Cheese Slices/Shreds, Whipped Cream, and Butter.
• Cheese Sticks (奶酪棒) Milkground's flagship product, a high-calcium formula cheese stick designed specifically for children, easy to absorb, supports bone and tooth development. Available in original, fruit, mixed fruit, banana, and chocolate flavors.
• Room-Temperature Cheese Sticks (常温奶酪棒) Room-temperature stable cheese sticks using proprietary barrier oxygen packaging and 360-degree aseptic filling, enabling distribution without cold chain to lower-tier and remote regions.
• Adult Cheese Snack Series (成人奶酪休闲系列) Adult-oriented cheese snack series including Hand-Torn Cheese (80g), Cheese Small Particles (84g/bag), Octopus Cheese Strips (42g), Cheese Triangles (90g), and Cheese Balls (90g), targeting young professional and adult snacking occasions.
• Cheese Cottage (妙可蓝多奶酪小屋) Castle-shaped cheese experience store in Shanghai combining product experience, cheese cuisine preparation, and cheese culture promotion. Offers factory-priced cheese products, coffee, and a parent-child reading area for direct consumer engagement and brand experience.
• Ginseng Cheese Milk (参酪乳) Newly launched dairy drink product (250ml x 12 specification) produced in Changchun, Jilin Province, combining ginseng and cheese milk ingredients, with room temperature light-protected storage requirements.
• Cloud Cheese (云朵芝士) Newly launched cup-format cheese product (65g/cup), refrigerated storage at 2-8°C, suitable for ages 3 and above.
• Cheese Nut Crisp (奶酪坚果脆) Newly launched cheese nut and confectionery product (8 slices/bag x 6 bags), combining cheese and nuts in shelf-stable format requiring cool, dry storage.
• Versatile Cheese Slices (百搭芝士片) Room-temperature versatile cheese slices (75g x 5 slices/pack), using selected quality milk source, rich in protein, calcium, and trace elements. Original craft delivers pure rich cheese aroma, individually sliced for easy use without refrigeration needed.
• Cheese Ice Cream (Co-branded with Ma Diaer) Co-branded cheese ice cream product created with Ma Diaer (a century-old premium ice cream brand from Harbin, established 1906), shaped 1:1 like the Milkground cheese stick, using cream cheese and New Zealand milk powder with color and aroma enhancements.
• Mousse Cheese Cup & Harumi Grilled Cheese (慕斯奶酪杯、哈路蜜煎烤奶酪) Two new products released at the opening of Shanghai Jinshan's largest standalone cheese factory: Mousse Cheese Cup and Harumi Grilled Cheese, targeting urban white-collar workers and family dining occasions.
• Original Cream Cheese (原制奶油芝士) - B2B Professional B2B cream cheese product, specification 2kg/box x 5 boxes/case, refrigerated transport and storage at 2-8°C. For food service, bakery, and industrial use.
• Butter (黄油) - B2B Professional B2B butter product, specification 25kg/block x 1 block/case, produced in Shanghai and Lanzhou (Gansu Province), 12-month shelf life. For food service, bakery, and industrial use.

Quantifiable outcome

• 43.9% cheese market share in 2022 (Nielsen), up from 27.7% in 2021 (Euromonitor)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 华强方特集团 (Huaqiang Fangte Group)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2026Strategic cooperation signed between Milkground and Huaqiang Fangte on June 1 Children's Day 2026 at Taiyuan Fangte Oriental Fantasy. The partnership focuses on co-creating a new paradigm combining cheese consumption with cultural tourism IP. Huaqiang Fangte operates 40+ cultural technology scenic spots across China and owns IPs like 'Boonie Bears', 'Miracle Girl', and 'Zhao Lin Adventure Diary'. Cooperation spans IP empowerment, scene collaboration, and marketing resonance, including custom cheese meals in theme restaurants and cheese sales in park stores.
• 马迭尔 (Ma Diaer / MODIAN Ice Cream)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 August 2023Strategic cooperation signed in August 2023 between Milkground and Ma Diaer, a century-old premium ice cream brand established in Harbin in 1906. The partnership created joint cheese ice cream products, with Ma Diaer using Milkground's cream cheese as raw material. The first co-branded cheese ice cream replicates the shape of Milkground's cheese stick. The partnership also includes Ma Diaer x Milkground new retail flash sale vehicles for experiential marketing.
• 富平县 (Fuping County, Shaanxi Province)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2023Milkground signed a dairy goat industry project agreement with Fuping County, Shaanxi Province, known for its fine dairy goat management, milk source quality, goat milk prices, and government support. This represents Milkground's breakthrough opportunity in the goat cheese segment.
• 陕西博羚乳业有限公司 (Shaanxi Boling Dairy Co., Ltd.)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 September 2022Strategic partnership signed at the 2022 China Cheese Development Summit. Milkground will leverage its brand advantages, technical advantages, and channel advantages to cooperate with Boling Dairy in developing specialty cheese products, particularly in the goat milk cheese sector.
• 黑龙江鞍达实业集团股份有限公司 (Heilongjiang Anda Industrial Group Co., Ltd.)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 September 2022Strategic partnership signed at the 2022 China Cheese Development Summit for cooperative development of specialty cheese products, leveraging each company's regional dairy advantages.
• 法国保健然集团 (France Bailian Group)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Partnership established in 2007, making Milkground one of the first dairy companies in China to master natural cheese production technology. This early collaboration provided foundational technical capabilities in cheese manufacturing.
• 爱氏晨曦 (Arla Foods)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorArla Foods participates alongside Milkground at the International Bakery Exhibition as a dual-brand presence. Both companies showcase professional B2B cheese and dairy products at industry exhibitions.
• 中国营养学会 (Chinese Nutrition Society)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMilkground cooperates with the Chinese Nutrition Society to establish a cheese nutrition and innovation research center. This partnership supports product nutrition research and consumer education on cheese nutrition benefits.
• 中国儿童少年基金会 (China Children and Women Foundation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMilkground cooperates with the foundation on the '棒小孩' public welfare program, donating cheese products worth 1 million RMB to help improve nutrition for children in 160 national key rural revitalization assistance counties.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Bel Group (The Laughing Cow / Babybel): Bel is a global processed and natural cheese specialist whose Laughing Cow and Babybel brands compete head-to-head with Milkground's cheese sticks, slices, and spreads in China and across Asia. Bel's processed-cheese expertise and global branded-cheese position make it a direct benchmark.
• Bright Dairy (光明乳业): One of China's largest dairy processors with growing cheese and yogurt lines including莫斯利安 (Momchilovtsi) yogurt and cheese products. Bright is a direct domestic competitor across both B2C retail and B2B food service, and competes for the same distributor and retail-shelf real estate.
• Savencia Fromage & Dairy: French specialty cheese leader (Caprice des Dieux, St Môret, Elle & Vire) with a strong Asia footprint. Savencia's cream cheese and processed/natural cheese portfolio directly parallels Milkground's family-table and B2B product lines and competes for the same Western-cuisine adoption in China.

Broad incumbents

• China Mengniu Dairy Company (蒙牛乳业): Parent-controlled shareholder of Milkground and one of China's two dairy supermajors with overlapping liquid milk, yogurt, cheese, and ice-cream lines. While structurally aligned via ownership, Mengniu's own cheese business activities (including the assets consolidated into Milkground in 2024) make it both shareholder and category competitor.
• Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group (伊利集团): China's largest dairy group by revenue, with a broad cheese product line and dominant liquid-milk, yogurt, and ice-cream positions that overlap with Milkground. As a broader incumbent, Yili competes with Milkground across multiple categories and channels and is the principal Chinese dairy rival.
• Lactalis: World's largest dairy company with deep processed and natural cheese portfolios (President, Galbani, Parmalat) and growing Asia presence. Lactalis competes with Milkground in the food-service ingredient space and is expanding branded-cheese penetration in Asia.
• Fonterra Co-operative Group: Global dairy giant whose Anchor-branded cheese, butter and dairy ingredients compete with Milkground in China's B2B food-service and retail categories. Fonterra's scale, ingredient capabilities, and established China presence make it a broad-incumbent competitor across the same end markets.

Regional players

• Sodiaal: French dairy cooperative and major European cheese producer whose branded cheeses (Cantal, Entremont, Les Fromagers) target the premium and food-service segments where Milkground also plays. While primarily European, Sodiaal's premium positioning overlaps Milkground's higher-end family-table and B2B SKUs and competes via imports.
• Hexin Dairy (和氏乳业): Regional Chinese dairy producer with an explicit goat-milk cheese strategy and partnerships (Shaanxi Boling Dairy) into specialty cheese that overlap with Milkground's goat-cheese and specialty cheese initiatives. As a regional player it doesn't compete head-to-head nationally but is a niche-adjacent emerging player.

Emerging players

• Arla Foods: Farmer-owned Danish dairy cooperative and one of the world's largest cheese producers, already active in China via a documented partnership with Milkground at bakery exhibitions. Arla's branded natural cheese and ingredient offerings overlap with Milkground's food-service line, making it both a partner and a competitive threat.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Milkground