Exhibiting at Thaifex - Anuga Asia 2025

Kawan Food Manufacturing Sdn Bhd is one of Malaysia’s most recognized frozen food producers and exporters, offering a comprehensive range of ready-to-cook flatbreads, pastries, and ethnic convenience foods. Known for its innovation in the frozen segment, Kawan Food serves both consumer retail and institutional markets across more than 60 countries worldwide.

History and Core Business

Founded in 1977, Kawan Food began as a small operation producing traditional Malaysian pastries. Over the decades, the company transformed into a globally respected manufacturer of frozen ethnic foods. With headquarters and a 15-acre fully automated manufacturing facility in Pulau Indah, Selangor, Kawan has become a leading exporter of halal-certified frozen food from Malaysia.

Listed on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia since 2005, Kawan Food has maintained a steady expansion trajectory through product innovation, strategic branding, and robust export operations.

Product and Service Offerings

Kawan Food’s portfolio is organized across four major product lines:

• Frozen Flatbreads

  • Roti Chanai
  • Paratha (Plain, Garlic, Onion, etc.)
  • Naan (Plain, Garlic)
  • Chapatti
  • Tortilla

• Frozen Pastries and Snacks

  • Spring Roll Pastry
  • Puff Pastry Sheets
  • Oriental Buns (with and without filling)
  • Mantou (Steamed buns)
  • Glutinous Rice Balls (Tang Yuan)

• Frozen Meals and Vegetables

  • Ready-to-eat rice and curry sets
  • French fries and processed vegetables
  • Plant-based snacks and meat alternatives

• OEM and Private Label Solutions

  • Custom recipe development
  • Multilingual packaging
  • Cold chain logistics support

The products are distributed under several consumer brands or as private-label offerings for global retail chains and food service operators.

Specialisation and Core USP

Kawan Food’s core strengths include:

• State-of-the-art automated facility: The RM 150 million (~USD 35 million) plant in Pulau Indah enables hygienic, scalable, and efficient production.
• Ethnic and cultural authenticity: Traditional recipes, halal certification, and strict quality control resonate with international consumers.
• Product diversity and packaging versatility: Retail, bulk, and food service formats available.
• Halal compliance: End-to-end halal-certified production, making it a go-to supplier for Muslim-majority regions.

Kawan is one of the few Southeast Asian frozen food companies that offer such an expansive product range with export-friendly compliance.

Financial Performance

As a public company (Bursa Malaysia: KAWAN), Kawan Food’s financials are transparent and reflect consistent performance:

• FY2023 Revenue: MYR 286 million (approx. USD 61 million)
• Net Profit: MYR 23.7 million (approx. USD 5 million)
• Export Contribution: Over 50% of total revenue
• Top Export Markets: USA, Australia, UAE, UK, Canada

Their financial resilience has allowed investments in R&D and facility upgrades even during global supply chain disruptions.

Shipment Records

Based on trade data and annual reports:

• Export Markets: Over 60 countries across North America, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia-Pacific
• Product SKUs: Over 150 across multiple brands and formats
• Volume: Over 1,500 containers exported annually
• Top Products:
  • Kawan Paratha (exported to over 30 countries)
  • KG Pastry Spring Roll Sheets
  • Veat (plant-based snacks in growing demand)

Kawan has built strong distribution partnerships with major international retailers including Tesco (UK), Woolworths (Australia), and Whole Foods (USA).

Target Market

Kawan Food’s product development targets:

• Retail consumers of convenient, ethnic frozen food
• Halal product distributors
• Institutional foodservice and catering companies
• Supermarkets and hypermarkets
• E-commerce and specialty frozen food stores
• Private-label buyers in North America and the Middle East

Kawan also markets to health-conscious consumers with low-oil, plant-based, and preservative-free lines.

Capabilities

• Automated chapatti, paratha, and pastry production lines
• Cold storage capacity of 6,000 metric tons
• In-house R&D and QA teams
• International logistics & export documentation support
• Private label & OEM capacity exceeding 40% of total output

Their investment in AI-powered packaging and dough handling technologies further enhances their operational efficiency.

Certifications and Compliance

Kawan Food adheres to rigorous food safety and quality systems, which include:

• Halal Certification (JAKIM)
• HACCP
• ISO 22000 Food Safety Management
• FSSC 22000
• USFDA Registered
• EU and UK Compliance (BRC, IFS standards through partnerships)

Their multi-standard certification portfolio ensures acceptance in virtually all global food markets.

Customer Testimonials

"Kawan’s roti and paratha lines are a staple in our international frozen section. Their consistency and packaging quality are unmatched."
— Angela Morgan, Senior Buyer, Woolworths Australia

"We’ve been sourcing OEM puff pastries from Kawan for our Middle Eastern stores since 2018. Halal compliance and taste profile are spot-on."
— Hamid Raza, Category Manager, Lulu Hypermarket UAE

Major Achievements

• First Malaysian frozen food brand to list on Bursa Malaysia (2005)
• Winner of the Best Exporter Award by MATRADE
• Achieved over RM 1 billion in cumulative export sales since inception
• Regular exhibitor at SIAL, ANUGA, and Gulfood
• Successfully launched the Veat brand for plant-based global markets in 2021
• Expanded presence in North America with third-party warehouse integration

Kawan Food Manufacturing Sdn Bhd exemplifies the rise of Southeast Asian manufacturers in the global frozen food arena—combining tradition, technology, and trust to deliver quality at scale.