? EnterpriseAM sat down with Jalal Abu Ghazaleh, the chairman and founder of AM Foods Group and the founder of Gourmet Egypt, to discuss how his “made in Egypt” private-label products, including Egyptian baladi bread (known abroad as Egyptian sourdough), ended up on the shelves of a major US supermarket chain, and how this move could potentially open doors for more Egyptian food exporters.

Given the rigorous FDA standards, logistics costs, and sheer competitiveness of US retail, Abu Ghazaleh’s story is a masterclass in innovation and resilience. Here’s what he learned.

Lesson #1: Maintain good contacts, personal relationships and strategic partnerships

It all started with a chance encounter at a food expo in Paris in 2022. “We were in the midst of a currency crisis,” Abu Ghazaleh said. “I’d just left my executive position at Gourmet and come back to AM Foods, my original food import and distribution business, and things weren’t in a very good place for us financially because of the devaluation. I attended SIAL [the food expo] in Paris as I normally do, although I had no ability to buy new products.”

It was Abu Ghazaleh’s Italian ravioli supplier who first floated the idea that he should consider exporting, given the adverse economic situation in Egypt. “One of my suppliers for Gourmet, who became a close friend and is now my business partner, is the largest private-label ravioli producer on the planet. He exports frozen ravioli from Italy to 18 out of the top 20 global retailers.”

“To export, you need two basic things: customers and a product. I had neither.” What Abu Ghazaleh did have was vision and the guts to try something new. With the help of his Italian friend, he was introduced to a huge potential customer from the US. Egypt had never been on their radar, but after pointing out some competitive advantages — low production costs, freetrade agreements, optimal location, and great quality products matched with fantastic service — which Abu Ghazaleh was willing to guarantee, the seed was planted. “That’s when I had an ‘aha moment’ I could make this happen,” Abu Ghazaleh told us.

Lesson #2: Show, don’t just tell

Abu Ghazaleh invited his potential client to come to Egypt and see for herself. Three months later — in 2023 — she was on the ground, visiting factories, sampling products, and experiencing Cairo. “In the months between SIAL and the visit, I had done some of the leg work to identify potential products and suppliers that could be of interest to this particular US retailer,” Abu Ghazaleh told us. These included frozen artichokes and strawberries, dry pasta, and canned lentils and chickpeas.

There was one more less obvious choice that caught the eye of the US importer: our very own baladi bread. “On the final day of the visit, I bought a bag of fresh bread from a traditional bakery, which prompted the question, ‘Is there anyone who can produce this on an industrial scale?’ My answer was no, but that we could facilitate it," Abu Ghazaleh said. Eighteen months later, he made it happen.

All of the frozen products that Abu Ghazaleh exported ended up exceeding their initial sales forecasts, particularly the bread. “They were all hits, but the frozen baladi bread hit the jackpot,” Abu Ghazaleh told us. The bread went viral on social media, and has been selling out across the US ever since it hit supermarket shelves in August 2025.

Lesson #3: Build a strong team that can develop the business and support quality assurance

“With private labels, whether it's the US or Europe, quality assurance, trust, and reliability are the most important factors. When a retailer puts their name on a product, they need to know, assure, and approve every ingredient that's being used. It’s a very precise, lengthy, and complicated process, but it’s worth it,” Abu Ghazaleh explained.

Lesson #4: Learn to be quick on your feet and turn nos into yesses

One of Abu Ghazaleh’s biggest initial challenges was timely deliveries to his clients, who expected frozen samples to land on their desks within days of asking. “In Egypt, couriers are unable to provide that service, so I would have to pack samples in a foam box full of dry ice and fly them to Milan myself. From there, my partner in Verona would take over and ship the temperature-controlled samples to the US by courier,” Abu Ghazaleh added.

Lesson #5: Ethnic food becoming mainstream presents new avenues for exporters from Egypt

Perhaps one of Abu Ghazaleh’s biggest achievements on the export front is developing a private-label food product that is being successfully marketed as Egyptian, loud and clear — possibly a first on such a broad scale. “When we developed the bread for the US market, we did have to enhance it slightly with our sourdough solution, but it is still very much the authentic Egyptian baladi bread. It looks, feels and tastes like the real thing, and that’s the appeal. The best way to overcome negative perceptions about this part of the world — and they are definitely there — is to convince people to come visit, taste, and see for themselves.”

What’s next?

AM International, the exporting arm of AM Foods Group, plans to continue exporting more products to more markets across the globe. Their export business operates on different models, depending on the complexity of the product. For commodity products, they facilitate contracts for the producers, but for the more complex value-added products, they act as the exporter and the principal in the transaction, Abu Ghazaleh explained.

Scaling means growing the team and forming new relationships so that more SKUs can be introduced to more countries. “My partner and I have been meeting people around the world. We’re looking at Canada, the UK, Australia, and even Asia. We're actively looking for partners that have products of superior quality with a very clear competitive advantage to join us on this journey,” he added.

So could molokhiyya be the next thing to go viral? And will Egyptian sourdough become the next Greek yogurt? Anything is possible, according to Abu Ghazaleh. “If you're offering the right product at the right price and communicating about it in the right way — you will succeed.”

Fun fact: The origin of sourdough can be traced back to Ancient Egypt in 6000 BC.

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