The Mahdiyar Story: From Saviq Production in Mashhad to Export of Healthy Snacks to Europe

In a world where snacks and industrial food products are often limited to short-term pleasure, it’s hard to imagine a product that is simultaneously healthy, therapeutic, and delicious. But the story of Mahdiyar Food (Aftab Nokhiz Co.) is a real example of making the impossible possible. A journey that began with a personal health concern and led to international exhibitions.

The Story Begins with a Simple Illness

Akbar Kouhestani-Moghaddam, the founder of Aftab Nokhiz Co., faced immune system issues since childhood. Recurrent illnesses led him toward traditional medicine, where for the first time, he experienced significant improvements in his health through a therapeutic diet. However, this diet required him to give up certain foods like cheese puffs, soda and snacks he deeply enjoyed.

The restriction sparked a question in his mind:

“Is it possible to produce a snack that’s both healthy and tasty?”

From a Personal Challenge to a Healing Idea

After witnessing the positive effects of this diet on himself and his family, he decided to develop a solution that could benefit others too. His and his research team’s extensive studies led to a troubling insight:

Many common diseases like diabetes, digestive issues, and cardiovascular problems were strongly linked to overconsumption of refined grains like rice, wheat, and barley.

In the midst of this research, they discovered a potentially powerful solution: rice bran. But there was a major challenge. There were no processing standards in Iran for human-grade rice bran. Existing regulations only covered animal feed.

Creating a Technology That Didn’t Exist

Mr. Kouhestani and a team of five researchers embarked on an 18-month R&D journey. They eventually invented a method to process rice bran for human consumption while preserving its therapeutic properties.

Their first product was well received, but the path to innovation was not over yet.

Saviq: The Next Step, With a Major Challenge

Soon after, customers asked the company to produce Saviq, a traditional, nutrient-rich powder made by roasting flour from grains or legumes. In traditional Iranian medicine, Saviq is widely used for body strengthening.

Though beneficial, its consumption method – placing dry powder directly on the tongue – was unpleasant, especially for children.

Then one day, a simple comment changed everything:

“If you could turn this Saviq into something like a puff snack, that would be amazing!”

This simple sentence became a turning point in the path of product development, because in the entrepreneurial world, real attention to customer feedback can shape the entire future trajectory of a product.

From a Comment to the Birth of Puff Therapy!

The idea occupied Mr. Kouhestani’s mind. If Saviq could be transformed into a puffed snack, it would not only be easier to consume, it could also replace unhealthy snacks on the market.

The team entered a new phase of R&D and successfully turned Saviq into a puffed, expanded, and attractive product.

Second Challenge: Taste!

The puffed product received a lot of positive feedback, but one key issue remained: Taste.
One user suggested adding spices to improve the flavor. However, this raised a deeper challenge: Mr. Kouhestani refused to use palm oil or artificial flavorings.

His goal was to create a 100% healthy, natural snack. Instead of artificial essences, they used natural spices, and instead of palm oil, they used sunflower oil. A path that no one in Iran or even the world had ever explored.

Inventing a Machine That Didn’t Exist

To achieve this goal, Mahdiyar team had to take initiative. They designed a machine capable of flavoring, expanding, and enriching Saviq with protein.

The result? In 2020, Mahdiyar food launched the world’s first healthy, flavored puffed Saviq snack.

From Store Shelves to International Booths

The new product quickly gained popularity in Iran. Shortly after, an Italian company began negotiations to import it. Mahdiyar was on the verge of entering the European market when the COVID-19 pandemic halted its exports.

The second export destination was Iraq, and it happened in an unexpected way. A pilgrim visiting the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad—a citizen of Iraq- came across the product by chance and loved it. Even more surprising, he turned out to be one of Iraq’s biggest food distributors.

This acquaintance marked the beginning of cooperation between Mahdiyar and the Iraqi market. Exports to this country began with a good reception, but after a while, due to political tensions, cooperation stopped. The reason wasn’t product quality, it was the Iranian origin of the brand. Despite customer satisfaction, Iraqi consumers were reluctant to purchase due to geopolitical concerns.

Mr. Kouhestani then decided to explore a new path: participating in international food exhibitions in the UAE and Germany. The goal was to introduce the product directly to global markets, a move that was met with overwhelming enthusiasm.

At the Dubai exhibition, Mahdiar’s products attracted the attention of visitors from more than 20 countries on five continents, and serious requests for cooperation and imports were received. However, this path was not without its challenges. High shipping costs, complex export regulations, and sanctions-related restrictions made it difficult to fulfill these growing international demands.

At the German exhibition, Mahdiyar’s products also attracted considerable interest. Several European companies even expressed willingness to produce the snack locally within their own facilities.

One notable offer involved granting full production rights in exchange for a substantial payment. However, Mr. Kouhestani declined the proposal, staying firmly committed to the brand’s original mission: creating 100% healthy snacks without harmful additives.

He believed that handing over full production to another company could eventually lead to changes in the product’s formula aimed at increasing profit, a compromise that could undermine the very essence of the Mahdiyar brand.

Four Global Challenges for Mahdiyar Food

The road to becoming a global brand was far from easy. Mahdiyar Food faced four major challenges on its path to international expansion:

Challenge 1: High International Shipping Costs

Due to Iran’s geographical location, which is not strategically positioned for large-scale exports to various continents, shipping costs were significantly high. For a young brand, this posed a serious financial barrier to reaching international markets.

Challenge 2: No Use of Chemical Preservatives

One of Mahdiyar’s core principles is the production of 100% natural products without chemical preservatives. While this is a major brand strength, it also created logistical challenges.

During long transportation routes, product freshness and quality could degrade. In distant markets like Africa—where shipping could take more than two months—some products even spoiled before reaching their destination.

Challenge 3: Restrictions on Direct Export to Europe

Sanctions and international regulations made it impossible to export directly to many European countries. As a result, the company had to rely on intermediaries, an approach that not only weakened direct customer relationships but also significantly reduced profit margins.

Challenge 4: Misconceptions About Iranian Brands

Despite Mahdiyar’s high product quality, some global markets continued to carry negative biases toward Iranian brands. This perception was largely shaped by years of negative publicity and the limited presence of Iranian companies in major international markets.

To overcome these obstacles, a bold decision was made:

Establishing a factory outside Iran under an international brand name and relocating part of the production to that facility. This strategic move aimed to ensure better control over global standards, delivery timelines, and cost-efficiency.

Reevolve’s Role in Mahdiyar’s Global Expansion

In April 2025, Mahdiyar officially began its internationalization journey with Reevolve. This collaboration aimed to prepare the brand for a sustainable and effective presence in the European market, a path that required accurate decisions, expert analyses and strategic choices.

In the first step, Reevolve’s experts analyzed six key indicators including the potential for attracting foreign investment, the size of the healthy snacks market, export regulations and business legal frameworks, the tax system and government support, transportation and supply chain infrastructure, and land prices for factory construction to assess the countries of the European Union and the United Kingdom. Ultimately, the Netherlands was selected as the superior and most aligned option with Mahdiyar’s goals; a country that not only offers ideal conditions in terms of investment opportunities, legal transparency, and strategic location at the heart of Europe, but also provides one of the world’s best startup visa programs and a vibrant, innovation-friendly ecosystem that fosters the growth of international brands.

The next step was selecting a specialized facilitator in the healthy food sector. (A facilitator is a government-approved organization tasked with evaluating the innovativeness of business models and supporting startups in taking the initial steps to enter the country.) With a clear understanding of Mahdiyar’s needs, including faster acquisition of necessary production permits within the Dutch ecosystem and identifying B2B partners to accelerate market entry, the Reevolve team identified three reputable facilitators and initiated the official process.

In parallel with these actions, the Reevolve team took on the responsibility of optimizing Mahdiyar’s business model, preparing the business plan, financial plan, and designing a market entry strategy with the highest chance of success, a step that prepared the brand not only for obtaining legal approval but also for making a strong and lasting presence in the European ecosystem.

Mahdiyar’s official startup visa process is now underway, and the facilitator’s formal endorsement is expected to be issued within the next 60 days. Moving forward, the Reevolve team will continue to stand alongside Mahdiyar, providing expert consulting, strategic development, and step-by-step guidance to ease and solidify the brand’s entry into the European ecosystem.

Mahdiyar’s story is tale of transforming a personal need into a global solution. This brand is not just a snack, it’s a symbol of how perseverance, innovation, and attentiveness to people’s feedback can push the boundaries of science and industry.

If you’re aiming to go global, Reevolve is ready to support you every step of the way — from selecting the right country, facilitator, or accelerator, to preparing essential documents like business plans, finding the most suitable startup visa program, building your professional network, and launching into international markets.