Food Gate/Fresh Gate 2009 Opens Doors
To Scores of Delicious, Nutritious Products
By John M. Saulnier QFFI, Chief Editor & Publisher

Eric Mansour of Givrex, an Alexandria-based producer of frozen vegetables and fruits, welcomes more than 1,000 food buyers, exhibitors and government officials to a gala dinner held in a desert location not far from Sharm el Sheikh.

This creative display at the Farm Frites Egypt stand in the Maritim Congress Center spells out the brand name with letters of the alphabet cut from potatoes.

Buyers enjoy charm of Sharm and warm hospitality during three-day B2B Matchmaking event showcasing a cornucopia of frozen offerings, fresh produce and much more.

Sharm el Sheikh was the place and the reliable quality of products was the case made by producers exhibiting at Food Gate/Fresh Gate Egypt. Held Dec. 6-8 on the outskirts of the picturesque resort city situated at the southern edge of the Sinai Peninsula, where the turquoise gulfs of Aqaba and Suez join the Red Sea, the event attracted key buyers from around the world. Each was selected to attend the invitation-only gathering by ExpoLink, the national exporters association which organized the business to business gathering in cooperation with Egypt’s Food Export Council, Agricultural Export Council and Industrial Modernisation Programme.

Leading frozen vegetable, fruit and potato processors were in high profile at the Maritim Congress Center, participating in what was billed as the nation’s “First B2B Food and Fresh Produce Event.” Among them were Givrex, The Nile Agricultural Industrial Company (AGA), Cold Alex, Faragalla Food Industries, Froca Agro Industries, Galina-Agrofreeze, Farm Frites Egypt, Montana, Oroub Agrifoods Processing Co., Sonac and UniFood.

Eric Mansour, marketing and sales manager of Givrex Frozen Vegetables and Fruits, in a speech to delegates delivered during a gala dinner at the Echo Temple, welcomed delegates on behalf of the organizing committee.

“As I personally represent the second generation of a family business founded in Alexandria by my father more than 30 years ago, I have seen time and again the many advantages of working together as a family. And I know that this family spirit, energy and care for the needs of clients and partners extends to the greater family of Egyptian food producers that is gathered here this evening,” stated Mansour.
He continued: “From value-added processed meats, poultry and fish, to dairy products, juices, baked goods, sweets, fresh and frozen vegetables, fruits, herbs, spices, cooking oils and other food ingredients – and much more – the harvest nourished by the fertile Nile that feeds the farms and fields of Egypt is plentiful.”

Plentiful indeed, as quantified in value terms by Sherif El Beltagy, chairman of the Agricultural Export Council (AEC). He reported that exports of foodstuffs increased from EGP 6.6 billion in 2006 to EGP 10.6 billion in 2009.

“These figures show the high demand for Egyptian produce that expands year after year. I can see this expansion as the outcome of exporters’ commitment to improve their products and to keep up with the changing consumer requirements worldwide. The backbone of the improvement is the ability to provide high quality products that meet international standards and taste.”

Representatives of Frozena (seen at left), an Egyptian frozen potato products producer, discuss market conditions with a visitor to their stand during one of the Food Gate/Fresh Gate Egypt B2B Matchmaking event in Sharm el Sheikh.

A frozen food buyer from Germany (seated at right) talks business with Patrick Mansour at the Givrex stand. Seen in the background is Jean Mauviel, managing director of Moréac, France-based D’aucy Frozen Foods.

Looking to continue the upward trend, the AEC has vowed to do its best to support and help boost Egyptian agricultural exports to a value of £18 billion by 2013, thus achieving a growth rate of 75% compared to 2009.

The frozen food sector will no doubt contribute mightily in this effort, as it continues to modernize and increase efficiencies. Givrex, for example, has just built a new factory outfitted almost entirely with processing machinery imported from Europe. Its high-capacity equipment runs the gamut from Cabinplant blanchers and Frigoscandia IQF freezers to GEA-Grasso compressors.

When this writer toured the facility in December, guided by company founder Robert G. Mansour, it was in “shakedown cruise” mode as the final phase of construction was nearly complete. “We ran artichokes yesterday to test the system,” the hands-on president commented. “There were no problems, so the plant should be up and running at full speed by February.

Givrex, a family-owned and operated firm which has been in business since 1978 and exports 90% of its output – primarily to Europe – is a pioneer in Egypt’s frozen food sector. Its vegetable and fruit product line is extensive, ranging from peeled broad beans, spinach, okra, cauliflower, grilled eggplant and sweet corn cobs to falafel paste, strawberries, guava, mango, figs, dates and artichokes of all kinds.

Frozen french fries were recently added to the range, but up until now they are being sold only in the domestic market. “The Greeks introduced potatoes to Egypt centuries ago, for which we are very thankful,” said Mansour.

Agronomists from Greece get credit for planting the first tubers, but it was the Dutch who lent their expertise to produce and freeze fast food restaurant-quality french fries in this country more than two decades ago. Oodenhoorn, Holland-headquartered Farm Frites literally wrote the book for sophisticated potato processing in Egypt by introducing modern cultivation techniques, growing highly-acclaimed Diamant, Cardinal and Santana tuber varieties, and teaming up with Egyptian and Kuwaiti partners to establish a processing plant in the 10th of Ramadan City.

“While we have since branched out into production of fresh strawberries and vegetables, our main emphasis remains in frozen pre-fried french fries,” said Walid Khalil, Farm Frites Egypt export supervisor. “We are the largest producer and exporter of such products in the Middle East and North Africa.”

Doing business as The International Company for Agri-Production and Processing, which sells products under the Americana and ICAPP brands as well as the Farm Frites label, the Cairo-headquartered firm’s range of greens includes spinach, broccoli and vine leaves.

Also active on the frozen potato scene is Behera-based Al Badr For Investments, which markets the Frozena brand. “We have been producing from the heartland of Egyptian fields since 2006, and are now exporting french fries, wedge cuts and crinkle slices to more than 15 countries,” said General Manager Bilal Basheer Yassin.

Exporting frozen and otherwise preserved potato products has been a growing business for Egyptian producers, whose sales rose a whopping 231% from EGP 72 million to EGP 239 million between 2006 and 2007.

The stands of Alexandria-based Cold Alex and Galina-Agrofreeze, both vegetable and fruit producers, were quite busy with visitors during the show. Like Givrex, Cold Alex is one of the pioneering forces of the Egyptian frozen food industry. “Our company’s roots go back to 1962,” Mohamed Kamal, export manager, told Quick Frozen Foods International. “Today we are exporting a complete range of products – from mixed vegetables, minced molokhia and peppers to zucchini, taro roots and spices.”