Shan Foods (Private) Limited is a Pakistani producer of packaged spice mixes, primarily used in South Asian dishes. The company was established in 1981 as a single-room operation by its founder,
Sikander Sultan, in
Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
and quickly grew from there to becoming a major player in the packaged spice mixes industry.
History
Shan Foods was founded in 1981, as a cottage industry operation, operating out of the home of the company's founder Sikander Sultan. He, along with his wife, started making spice mixes at their home, experimenting extensively to come up with unique offerings, which instantly picked up a loyal fan-base both, at home and with Pakistanis who had moved to the neighbouring Arab countries
The Arab world ( '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, comprises a large group of countries, mainly located in West Asia and North Africa. While the majority of people in ...
, Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
, USA
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...
and Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
.
Controversies
In July 2023, reports from the German media indicated a ban on the products exported by the company in the German market due to the alleged presence of Ethylene Oxide
Ethylene oxide is an organic compound with the chemical formula, formula . It is a cyclic ether and the simplest epoxide: a three-membered ring (chemistry), ring consisting of one oxygen atom and two carbon atoms. Ethylene oxide is a colorless ...
, a fumigant and pesticide, which is known to pose serious health hazards including cancer upon consumption and is banned from food production in Europe. The news was shared by the Pakistani politician Khurram Shehzad on his Twitter
Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
account which caused a backlash against the company by the general public in Pakistan. In response to this, Ideal Foods Traders GmBH, a German retailer of Asian food products issued a statement in which it was clarified that only specific batches of 12 products from Shan Foods were recalled from the market. After the initial unresponsiveness to the question asked by the media, the company officially rejected these claims on its Twitter account as "incorrect and misleading", claiming that its products were safe for consumption and met health and safety standards.
References
External links
Shan Foods official website
Brand name condiments
Food manufacturers of Pakistan
Pakistani brands
1981 establishments in Pakistan
Food and drink companies based in Karachi
Manufacturing companies based in Karachi
Privately held companies of Pakistan
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