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Leading Egyptian food group Gadwa Food Industry has commissioned a fully integrated margarine production line at its subsidiary Integrated Egyptian Food Industries (IEFI) in 10th of Ramadan City, delivering the project in partnership with total production solution provider Nabla Solution.
Gadwa has a 50-year heritage in cheese production, earning it the title 'house of cheese'. Through its major subsidiary Arab Dairy, the group offers a wide range of cheese products led by its iconic Panda brand, alongside the Dairy brand and its all-natural Panda Gourmet line.
Yasser Mohamed Zaki Ibrahim, chairman at Gadwa, said: “Gadwa has achieved remarkable success across a variety of industries, but we have always come back to one belief: food is the most fundamental foundation for any society. Especially here in Egypt and across Africa, no matter how other sectors grow, people need dependable, nutritious food every single day."
Margarine is widely consumed in Egypt and represents a strong market for the group. Behind the new line is a deliberate backward-integration strategy.
Amr Youssef, marketing director at Arab Dairy, commented: “Any product we import from abroad should eventually be manufactured locally. This really triggered our thoughts to create products that could feed into our current production process. The new line allows us to minimise our reliance on importing raw materials and provide world-class quality in Egypt.”
Gadwa partnered with Nabla to launch its first margarine line at IEFI with full automation and high-quality standards. From design to installation, the total production solution and advanced technology provided by Nabla enbaled the group to use non-hydrogenated oils for healthier margarine products, and to deliver the final product packed in a carton in only three to four hours.
The margarine production line has been adapted to produce natural butter, resulting in a high-quality product comparable to the best international brands.
Ayman Abo ElSoud, chairman at IEFI, said: “This distinguishes us from other producers in the market. An official report from the Egyptian Ministry of Health Central Laboratory confirmed that our product is equivalent to New Zealand butter. We are now able to cover this demand locally, especially for Panda, in addition to products that will soon be launched in the local market."
Post-start-up reliability has been equally decisive. Nabla continuously works with IEFI to provide fast-response on-site technical service and ensure spare parts availability.
Said Hamdy, industrial technical consultant at Gadwa, stated: “When intelligence, experience and determination come together, they create a successful project. This success is the result of two teams coming together. Nabla’s team shares the same passion and dedication as we do; they are truly supportive, always thinking forward and focusing on long-term partnerships.”
Looking ahead, Gadwa is moving on several fronts to support the local economy. With continued innovation in its cheese sector, Panda Gourmet will soon launch the first herb-flavoured cheese in Egypt.
The group has also entered other food categories including olives, fava beans, frozen fruits and vegetables, and fat-based products.
Khaled Medany, supply chain director at Arab Dairy, said: “Our group’s vision has always been to become the leading producer of healthy food products – committed to quality, innovation, sustainability and consumer satisfaction. We are establishing a more diverse, flexible and reliable supply system to achieve this vision and develop every new category from a much higher baseline.”
Having witnessed the success of the margarine line and the total solution capability Nabla delivered, the group highlighted that Nabla aligns the needs for its development strategy and remains the natural partner for the next chapter of growth and mutual commitment.
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