What defines genuine Greek dairy
Feta is a protected designation of origin. It can only be produced in defined regions of Greece, from sheep's milk with up to thirty percent goat's milk, using traditional methods and minimum maturation. Anything else is white cheese in brine, and buyers who confuse the two eventually discover the difference in a consumer complaint or a regulatory letter.
Greek yoghurt is a different kind of trap. In most markets the term is used loosely for thickened yoghurt made with milk protein concentrate or starch. Authentic Greek strained yoghurt is made by straining out whey, which is why it costs more and why its texture and protein content cannot be replicated by additives.
| Product | Defining requirement | What we verify |
|---|---|---|
| Feta PDO | Defined regions, sheep and goat milk, traditional method, minimum maturation | Control body certificate, milk sourcing, maturation records |
| Strained Greek yoghurt | Whey removed by straining, no thickeners | Process confirmation, protein and dry matter, ingredient list |
| Kefalotyri, Graviera, Kasseri | Variety-specific milk, ageing and texture standards | Age at dispatch, moisture, fat in dry matter |
| Donkey's milk strained yoghurt | Specialty milk blend, limited seasonal availability | Milk origin, batch traceability, sensory profile |
Why Greek dairy travels well commercially
Feta and Greek yoghurt are two of the few dairy products with genuine global consumer pull and an origin that consumers can name. That gives importers pricing power that generic white cheese and thickened yoghurt do not have.
Greek dairy also has structural depth. Mountain dairies in Epirus and Thessaly control milk pools of sheep and goat herds grazing on aromatic pasture, which is what produces the flavour intensity that distinguishes premium Feta from industrial alternatives.
Why buyers choose theGreex for dairy
Dairy sourcing has to account for seasonality. Sheep and goat milk supply peaks in spring and falls sharply in late autumn, and dairies allocate scarce milk to their most reliable customers. We plan annual volumes with the dairy in advance so your programme is inside that allocation rather than competing for leftovers.
We also manage the cold chain as part of the specification. Temperature, transit time and packaging are agreed before the first order, and loads are logged so any shelf-life issue can be traced instead of argued.
- Annual milk allocation agreed with dairies ahead of the season
- PDO control body documentation verified per lot
- Cold chain specified, logged and reviewed after each shipment
- Shelf-life planning matched to your stock turn and market
Our dairy network
We work with mountain dairies in Epirus and Thessaly for traditional barrel-matured Feta, larger certified plants in Macedonia and central Greece for consistent retail volumes, and specialist yoghurt producers for strained and specialty milk products including sheep, goat and donkey's milk lines.
- Wooden barrel and tin maturation for traditional Feta profiles
- Vacuum, brine cup and bulk formats for retail and foodservice
- Strained yoghurt lines in cups, tubs and foodservice pails
- Hard and semi-hard Greek cheeses aged to specification
Quality standards for dairy exports
- Fat in dry matter, moisture, salt and pH verified per batch
- Microbiological testing including Listeria and Salmonella protocols
- Maturation age confirmed at dispatch, not at production
- Packaging integrity and brine level checks on retail formats
- Cold chain verification with data loggers on request
- Counter-samples retained for the full shelf life
Certifications for dairy programmes
- PDO certification for Feta and other protected Greek cheeses, with control body documents
- BRCGS, IFS and ISO 22000 at our principal dairies
- EU approval numbers and health certification for products of animal origin
- EU Organic for certified organic dairy lines
- Halal and Kosher available on selected dairy lines
Export capabilities and dairy formats
| Product | Formats | Typical shelf life |
|---|---|---|
| Feta PDO | Vacuum packs 200g to 2kg, brine cups, 4kg tins, 16kg tins, barrels | 6 to 12 months chilled |
| Strained Greek yoghurt | 150g to 1kg cups and tubs, 5kg foodservice pails | 30 to 60 days chilled |
| Hard cheeses | Wedges, blocks, grated, foodservice wheels | 6 to 12 months chilled |
| Specialty yoghurt | Retail cups, limited seasonal runs | 21 to 45 days chilled |
MOQ flexibility on dairy
Dairy MOQs are driven by cold chain economics rather than production capacity. A chilled part-load costs disproportionately more per kilo than a full one, so we consolidate dairy from several producers into one temperature-controlled load to make smaller entry volumes viable.
- Consolidated chilled groupage into the EU and UK
- Mixed dairy loads combining Feta, hard cheeses and yoghurt
- Private label dairy typically from 3,000 to 5,000 units per SKU
- Trial volumes on producer brands from a single chilled pallet
Private label dairy
Own-brand Feta and Greek yoghurt are strong margin drivers, but they carry more technical risk than ambient categories. We manage recipe and maturation targets, packaging selection, declaration accuracy under EU 1169/2011, and shelf-life validation trials before a launch rather than after a complaint.
- Maturation and salt profile tuned to your market's taste expectation
- Vacuum, cup, tub and tin formats with stock and custom options
- Nutritional panels from certified analysis of the actual recipe
- Accelerated and real-time shelf-life validation before launch
Cold chain logistics
Dairy moves under a controlled cold chain from the dairy to your depot. For EU and UK destinations we use refrigerated road transport, which protects remaining shelf life. For longer routes we use reefer containers with agreed set-point temperatures and logging.
- Refrigerated road transport across Europe, reefer containers beyond
- Set-point temperature agreed and logged, typically 2 to 6°C
- Health certificates and EU approval documentation with every consignment
- Pre-cooled loading and sealed dispatch records
Markets we supply with Greek dairy
Our dairy programmes serve retail chains and importers in the UK, Germany, the Benelux and the Nordics, HoReCa distributors across Central Europe and the Gulf, and specialty importers in North America where authentic Feta PDO and genuine strained yoghurt carry a clear premium over local imitations.
Frequently asked questions
Can you supply authentic Feta PDO for export?
Yes. We supply Feta PDO from certified Greek dairies with control body documentation per lot, in vacuum packs, brine cups, tins and barrels, matured to the profile your market prefers.
What is the difference between Feta and Greek white cheese?
Feta is a protected designation, produced only in defined Greek regions from sheep's milk with up to thirty percent goat's milk. White cheese in brine can be made anywhere from any milk, including cow's milk, and cannot legally be called Feta in the EU.
Do you supply authentic strained Greek yoghurt?
Yes, produced by genuine straining rather than by adding thickeners or protein concentrates, in retail cups, tubs and foodservice pails, including sheep, goat and specialty milk variants.
What shelf life can I expect on chilled Greek dairy?
Feta typically carries six to twelve months chilled depending on the format, and strained yoghurt thirty to sixty days. We contract a minimum remaining shelf life on arrival so your depot is protected.
How is the cold chain maintained during export?
Product is pre-cooled, loaded into refrigerated transport at an agreed set point, usually between 2 and 6°C, and monitored with data loggers where required. Temperature records are available with the shipment.
What is the minimum order for wholesale feta cheese?
Producer-branded Feta can start from a single chilled pallet within a consolidated load. Private label usually starts from 3,000 to 5,000 units per SKU depending on the format.
Is Greek dairy availability seasonal?
Yes. Sheep and goat milk peaks in spring and declines in late autumn, so annual volumes should be agreed with the dairy in advance. We plan allocations ahead of the season for programme customers.
Can you export Greek dairy outside the EU?
Yes, subject to the destination's import approval requirements for products of animal origin. We confirm that the dairy holds the necessary approval for your market before quoting.
Do you supply organic Greek dairy?
Yes, from certified organic dairies, with organic transaction certificates issued per shipment. Volumes are more limited than conventional, so early planning matters.
Can dairy be shipped alongside ambient products?
Only where the whole load can travel at chilled temperature. In practice we ship dairy in dedicated chilled loads and consolidate ambient categories separately, then align arrival dates so your range lands together.