Enhancing herbs: Ofi opens processing plant in Egypt to expand innovation capabilities

-Olam food ingredients (ofi) has opened a new herb processing facility in Beni-Suef, Egypt, to expand its customer offering in basil, fennel, marjoram, parsley and dill. The facility will operate under Dehydro Foods, one of the company’s subsidiaries.

The new roll-out is expected to process “3,000 metric tons” of herbs sourced directly from local farmers yearly. It will work closely with ofi’s global innovation centers to create “optimal solutions for its international customer base.”

Egypt is one of the biggest markets for processing, exporting and growing herbs, with Upper Egypt providing the “ideal growing conditions.”

Commenting on this development, Brijesh Krishnaswamy, president for spices by ofi, says: “Our Egypt teams are focused on maintaining strong relationships with the farmers in our supply chain, advising on quality.”

He adds that its innovation teams can demonstrate the available “savory and culinary opportunities” to its CPG (consumer packaged goods) retailer and food service customers. This includes ofi’s “wider spices, nuts and dairy product portfolio.”