Iran

Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a diverse and culturally vibrant country located in West Asia (the Middle East) with a population of over 80 million. Iran’s manufacturing sector is very diverse and heavily contributes to its GDP. In the manufacturing of any products such as food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and animal feed, various components play a crucial role, some help in product manufacturing, while others, like colour improves the visual appeal of products.

Iranian manufacturers prepare colours, but they are not sufficient to fulfill all the colour-related demand of the country. To fulfill this gap and make a profit, many Iranian food traders, distributors, and merchants import colours from other countries like India, Russia, Turkey, and Indonesia. They import colours at cost-effective sourcing and then sell them at competitive market pricing in the Iranian market.

Some Iranian food distributors, traders, and merchants sell the colours under the same branding of the company from which they bought the colours, while others create their own branding and sell under their brand name. By doing so, they can establish their own branding in the Iranian market and boost sales.

In Iran, colour plays a crucial role in various manufacturing industries. Here are some Iranian manufacturing industries where colour plays a vital role that include:

In the Iranian food and beverage manufacturing industry, colour plays a vital role. Colour makes the food products appealing to customers that attracts their attention and boosts sales. However, Iranian food manufacturers often face some challenges in selecting the right colour for their products. Manufacturers want high-quality food colours that provide a vibrant and appealing look to their food products. Iranian food manufacturers can overcome their challenges by using synthetic food colours in their products. High-quality synthetic food colours maintain the visual appeal of the products and do not fade or change during manufacturing and storage. Most of the food manufacturing industries of Iran are located in Tehran, Mashhad, Karaj, Isfahan, and Shiraz. Based on Statista data, Iran’s food market reached about US$67.69 billion by 2025 and continues to expand in 2026, with the market forecast to grow at a CAGR of approximately 8.17% through 2030.

Colours play a vital role in the Iranian cosmetics industry. Colour makes makeup, personal care & skin care products, appealing to customers, which attracts their attention and boosts sales. However, Iranian cosmetic manufacturers often face some challenges in selecting the right colour for their products. They want premium quality cosmetic colours that improve their products' brand recognition in the market and boost sales. Iranian cosmetic manufacturers can overcome their challenges by using premium-quality cosmetic pigments and dyes in their products. High-quality pigments come in various shades that allow manufacturers to create different coloured products, which helps in brand recognition in the market and do not fade or change in various conditions, such as different pH, heat, and light. Most of the cosmetic manufacturing industries of Iran are located in Mashhad, Rasht, Qom, Tabriz, and Shiraz. According to Statista, Iran's cosmetic market was valued at roughly US $1.22 billion in 2025, and it is expected to grow with about a 4.05% CAGR through 2030.

In the Iranian Pharmaceutical industry, colour plays a crucial role. Colour makes medicines such as tablets, capsules, syrups, injectables, and health supplements appealing and bright, which improves their recognition and reduces the chances of taking the wrong medicines. However, Iranian pharma manufacturers often face challenges in selecting the right colour for their products. They want high-quality pharmaceutical colours for their products that improve their product’s brand recognition in the Iranian market and boost sales. Pharma manufacturers can overcome their challenges by using high-quality food-grade colours in their products, as these colours do not fade, bleed, or spoil on medicines during manufacturing and storage. High-quality food-grade colours approved for use in pharma products that show their safety for human consumption. Most of the pharmaceutical manufacturing industries of Iran are located in Tehran, Isfahan, Mashhad, Karaj (Alborz Province), and Shiraz. According to Statista, the revenue of Iran's pharmaceutical market reached about US $8.21 billion in 2025, and it is expected to grow, with a projected CAGR of around 4.38% through 2030.

Colour plays a crucial role in the field of the Iranian chocolate manufacturing industry. Colour makes the chocolate attractive for customers, especially for children and women who are the prime consumers of chocolate products. However, chocolate manufacturers in Iran often face some challenges in selecting the right colours that they desire. They want high-quality colours that are approved for use in chocolate and maintain their visual appeal for a long time. Iranian chocolate manufacturers can overcome their challenges by using high-quality synthetic food colours in their chocolates, as these colours are approved by different government bodies all around the world. Synthetic food colours maintain the visual appeal of chocolate products during their production and storage, which catches the eyes of customers and increases sales. In Iran, most of the chocolate manufacturing industries are located in Tabriz, Karaj, Mashhad, Yazd, and Tehran. According to Statista, Iran’s chocolate market reached about US $4.02 billion in 2025 and continues expanding in 2026, with the market forecast to grow at a CAGR of approximately 5.14% through 2030.

Colour also plays a vital role in the field of the animal feed manufacturing industry of Iran. Colour makes the feed appealing to animals, which encourages them to eat the feed properly and stay healthy. However, animal feed manufacturers in Iran often face some challenges in selecting the right color for their products. They require high-quality colors for their products that make the feed vibrant and attractive. Iranian pet food manufacturers can overcome their challenges by using high-quality synthetic food colours in their products, as these colours make the pet food appealing and bright. Synthetic pet food colours help in the brand recognition of feed in the market, which boosts its sales. Most of the animal feed manufacturing industries of Iran are located in Tehran, Isfahan, Mashhad (Razavi Khorasan Province), Karaj (Alborz Province), and Rasht (Gilan Province). The animal feed market of Iran is estimated to reach approximately USD 1.95–2.00 billion in 2026 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of around 2.7% from 2026 to 2031.

The Iranian people often have some cultural favorite colours, and they impact their buying decisions. In the food products, they often choose warm colour tones such as saffron, yellow, red, and orange, even Iran’s most famous foods, saffron rice and rock candy, come in golden yellow. In cosmetics and personal care, the Iranian people like light and dark shades such as persian rose, pink, gold, midnight black, ivory, matcha green, and teal. For Pharmaceuticals, they often prefer natural colours like blue, white, and green, as they build trust, safety, reliability, and confidence in the Iranian people. Manufacturers in Iran know these cultural favorites very well and use these colours strategically in their products to boost their product sales in the Iranian market.

In Iran, the quality and safety of colours in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical products are overseen by the Iran Food and Drug Administration (IFDA). The IFDA operates under the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Iran. IFDA also checks the quality and Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of colour in products to ensure its safety for human consumption from time to time by conducting inspections, sample testing, and enforcement actions.

Starting a new business in Iran is a challenging task for startups. They face various challenges, including competing with the brand already selling their product, pricing, brand recognition, and customer trust. Startups can overcome various challenges by only using high-quality synthetic food colours in their products. Synthetic food colours come in a range of high-quality shades that allow startups to create a different coloured product that improves brand recognition of their product in the market. Synthetic food colours are an affordable option for manufacturers competing with other colouring alternatives to allow them to sell their product at competitive prices. By selling the best quality products at competitive prices in the market, startups can win the consumer's trust easily.

If you are a manufacturer or a startup business in Iran, or you plan to manufacture products to export to the Iranian market, you should use high-quality synthetic food colours in your products that are approved by the IFDA. You can source these colours from a trusted and reliable synthetic food colour manufacturer like Ajanta Food Colours, a leading synthetic food colour manufacturer in India with over 75 years of legacy. The company offers a wide range of Supra Colours and exports them to Iran for use in various products such as food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and pet food.

Ajanta Food Colours has received several awards and certifications from India and from other countries where it exports its quality Colourants. Such achievements express the expertise and strong standing of the company in the industry of synthetic food colour manufacturing. Among a few major awards and certifications are the Arch of Europe Award, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Award, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA), Halal, Alcumus ISOQAR, Star-K Kosher, Food Safety System Certification 22000 (FSSC 22000), and ISOQAR.

Contact us today to know more about Ajanta Food Colours, their range of colours, or for any other information.