Shan Foods

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Wikipedia

Shan foods
Company typePrivate
IndustryFood processing
Packaged spice mixes
Founded1981 (1981) in Karachi, Pakistan
FounderSikandar Sultan
Area served
Worldwide
BrandsShoop Noodles
RevenueIncrease Rs. 25 billion (US$87 million) (2023)[1]
Websitewww.shanfoods.com

Shan Foods is a Pakistani producer of packaged spice mixes, primarily used in South Asian dishes. The privately held company was established in 1981 as a single-room operation by its founder, Sikandar Sultan.[2][3]

The company's products include recipe mixes, plain spices, ready-to-cook sauces, cooking pastes, dessert mixes, cooking condiments, accompaniments, and instant noodles.

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, which started selling in Pakistan and with Pakistanis who had moved to the neighbouring Arab countries, Europe, United States and Canada.[4][2]

Controversies

In July 2023, the German media reported a ban on some products on the German market by this company due to the alleged presence of Ethylene Oxide, a fumigant and pesticide, which is known to pose serious health hazards as a carcinogen and is banned from food production in Europe. The news was shared by Pakistani politician Khurram Shehzad on his Twitter 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 to clarify that only specific batches of 12 products from Shan Foods were recalled from the market. Although initially unresponsive to questions from 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.[5][6]

References

  1. ↑ "After decades of sticking to spices, Shan Foods is bringing a new kind of product. Should National be scared?". Pakistan Today. 24 March 2024. Retrieved 15 October 2025.
  2. 1 2 Ariba Shahid and Farooq Tirmizi (14 March 2021). "Why Shan Foods should actively consider an IPO". Pakistan Today newspaper (Profit by Pakistan Today). Archived from the original on 6 November 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  3. ↑ "Shan Foods celebrates Pak-China friendship over a delicious plate of biryani". Images magazine (Dawn Group of newspapers). 24 April 2017. Archived from the original on 24 April 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  4. ↑ Singh, Mehr (17 May 2023). "How Shan Masala Spiced Up Diaspora Tables". The Juggernaut.
  5. ↑ Hussain, Kashif (18 July 2023). "German authorities allegedly ban 12 Shan Food products". The Express Tribune newspaper. Archived from the original on 10 June 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  6. ↑ "Fact Check: Germany did not ban Shan products (but is actually just a batch recall)". Aaj TV News website. 16 July 2023. Archived from the original on 18 July 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2024.