In collaboration with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)Savola Foods announces winners of its open Innovations competition to explore “Sustainable Alternatives to Edible Oils”• A research team from the American University in Cairo won the first position for utilizing new technology to produce sustainable fats from microorganisms.• Sameh Hassan: The competition is part of our commitment to innovate sustainable products and helps strengthen global efforts to reduce the environmental impact of the food sector.

Cairo – October 2023: Savola Foods, one of the largest food companies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Middle East, and North Africa, announced the winners of “Innovating Sustainable Alternatives to Edible Oils” global competition today.
In collaboration with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the competition featured the participation of 65 research teams from across the globe. The primary objective of the competition is to explore alternatives that are not only more sustainable but also possess the physical and functional properties of traditional fats, thereby reducing their environmental footprint.
The top position went to a research team from the American University in Cairo for identifying new technique for the production of sustainable fats from microorganisms. The second position was awarded to a research team from the University of Rwanda for a composite technique to extract a larger yield of fat from pumpkin seeds.
Sameh Hassan, CEO of Savola Foods, said: “We are proud to announce the winners of our sustainable fat innovation competition, which reflects our ongoing commitment to R&D and the innovation for more sustainable products and industrial processes. This is the first time that Savola has organized an open global innovation competition.”
He further stated: “We are committed to supporting innovation in the field of sustainable food, and we believe that this competition will help strengthen global efforts to reduce the environmental impact of the food sector.”
Hassan elaborated that “Savola Foods has already initiated discussions with the winners to help them further develop their ideas & turn them into industrial scale. He added that the company is fully committed to providing all necessary resources to ensure its successful implementation. He further said that the company is currently working on several “sustainability focused” innovations & projects which will be introduced to the market in the near future”.
Diaa Rashwan, Regional General Manager of Innovation at Savola Foods, stressed that this is a successful beginning of a journey to transform the winning ideas into industrial-scale realities and bring more value to future generations.
Rashwan stated that the competition’s core objective is to link scientific research with industry and to support young researchers. He also said that the winning concepts are expected to contribute to adopting carbon emission-free manufacturing methods, thus playing a crucial role in mitigating climate change and reducing environmental pollution.
The competition went through several stages since its announcement in October 2022 at the World Food Forum hosted at the FAO headquarters in Rome. These stages included the initial submission of ideas (65 ideas were presented). From this pool of ideas, four were carefully selected as candidates for actual project development. A dedicated jury committee presided over the evaluation process, comprising representatives from Savola Foods Research and Development Department, as well as representatives from the FAO and an external technical consultant appointed by the FAO. The committee guided and trained the participants throughout the competition, assisting them in advancing their research efforts right through to the final stages.
About Savola Foods:
Savola Foods Company is a subsidiary of the Saudi Savola Group, known for its exceptional competence in managing a diverse range of high-quality food product brands, including edible oils, vegetable ghee, sugar, pasta, seafood, sausages, cooking fats, baked goods, and frozen vegetables. Savola Foods owns a collection of renowned brands in the Egyptian food commodities market, earning the trust of millions of customers through products such as Rawabi and Ganna vegetable ghee, Afia and Al-Araby cooking oils, Family sugar, Queen and Ganna pasta. Savola Foods also holds a 51 percent stake in Al-Kabeer Company and a 34.5 percent stake in Almarai Company. With a diverse commercial portfolio, Savola Foods has expanded its exceptional products and services to reach over 30 countries.