Egypt shuts biscuit factory making fake ‘Oreo’ products with charcoal instead of cocoa, copying US snack giant Mondelēz’s brand

The factory, located in Kafr Shukr in Qalyubia governorate, was raided during a food-safety campaign by the Qalyubia Supply Directorate and local supply and internal trade officials.

Authorities said the facility was producing biscuits, including products labelled “Oreo”, a brand owned by US snack giant Mondelēz International, as well as biscuits intended for use in ice cream production.

Inspectors seized about 1.8 tonnes of raw materials and finished products during the operation.

Among the items were a 100-kilogram barrel of expired glucose and three boxes containing about 30 kilograms of expired Royal-branded butter.

Officials also found ingredients of unknown origin and other materials for which the operators could not provide invoices or documents showing their source.

Notably, inspectors discovered a plastic barrel containing E153 vegetable carbon, a black food colouring that authorities said was being used to give the biscuits their dark appearance instead of cocoa.

Vegetable carbon is an approved food colouring in some markets. However, the concern raised by authorities centred on its reported use as a substitute for cocoa at an unlicensed factory that was also handling expired and undocumented ingredients.

The inspection also uncovered 50 cartons of finished biscuits weighing about seven kilograms each, alongside 55 sacks containing approximately 1,100 kilograms of biscuits reportedly intended for reprocessing.

Authorities confiscated the raw materials and finished products and opened a legal case against those responsible for the facility.

Following the raid, Qalyubia Governor Hossam Abdel Fattah ordered authorities to intensify inspections of food factories, markets and other commercial establishments across the governorate.

He warned that businesses failing to comply with health and regulatory requirements would face legal action.

Meanwhile, the raid comes as Egyptian authorities continue efforts to strengthen oversight of food production, particularly around factory licensing, ingredient traceability and product safety.

The case also raises concerns over the unauthorised use of established product labels. Authorities said some of the biscuits carried the “Oreo” name, although no connection between the factory and the brand’s owner was established.

For Egypt’s food manufacturing sector, the enforcement drive is aimed at ensuring that producers meet licensing and safety requirements before products reach consumers.

Authorities have not yet disclosed the outcome of the legal case or whether further facilities linked to the operators are under investigation.