Food & Climate
Two content creators of “the adulterated food in Egypt” were released yesterday, known as “Sultanji” and “Al-Ikilance,” on bail of 50,000 Egyptian pounds each, pending further investigation.
They had been arrested on charges of spreading misinformation after posting videos questioning the safety of bottled water, olive oil, and honey in local markets.
The Ministry of Interior announced the arrest of the two men on Sunday, November 30, 2025, due to the videos that caused widespread controversy in Cairo among consumers and relevant authorities.
The incident also received extensive media coverage in local newspapers, according to reports seen by Food & Climate.
The videos had sparked widespread controversy in Cairo among consumers and relevant authorities. The duo began producing videos about adulterated food in Egypt last Ramadan, starting with an analysis of yogurt.
They continued producing videos about other products, the most recent of which – before their arrest – focused on bottled water contaminated with sewage, as well as adulterated oil and meat in local markets.
Upon their arrest and questioning, they confessed to conducting analyses of some food products in private laboratories and then filming videos inside one of their homes, with the intention of posting them on social media, according to a statement from the Ministry of Interior reported by several local newspapers.
The Chamber of Food Industries condemns adulterated food content in Egypt.
In a statement issued on Monday, December 1, 2025, the Chamber of Food Industries of the Federation of Egyptian Industries expressed its rejection of the videos about adulterated food in Egypt.
It declared its “complete rejection of attempts to cast doubt on the quality and safety of Egyptian food products through social media platforms without relying on scientific mechanisms or approved legal procedures.”
The Chamber emphasized that this type of content harms the national industry and disregards the state’s regulatory role. She emphasized that Egypt’s food safety system is a comprehensive framework covering all stages of food handling, from production to distribution, and expressed her rejection of using domestic industry as a means to generate views or create sensationalized “trends” lacking accuracy and responsibility.
The head of the chamber, Ashraf El-Gazayerli, stated that the law and specific scientific standards govern all procedures related to food sampling, testing, and determining compliance with standard specifications and technical requirements for food safety.
He explained that any error in any step of the sampling process—namely, collection, storage, transport conditions, and arrival time at the laboratory—could lead to a deterioration of the food’s properties or a change in its composition. This could result in inaccurate analytical findings that cannot be relied upon technically or scientifically. “Therefore,” he added, “the sampling authorities are specific and regulated by Egyptian law, including the National Food Safety Authority and the Ministry of Health.”
Food safety laws in Egypt
The head of the Food Industries Chamber, Ashraf El-Gazayerli, confirmed that the Food Safety Authority has issued a comprehensive set of binding technical regulations. These regulations include maximum residue limits for pesticides, standards for microbial contaminants, and technical requirements for all stages of food handling to ensure product safety for consumption.
He added that any assessment of food product safety must be conducted according to an approved scientific methodology and official sampling procedures to guarantee the accuracy and validity of the results.
Therefore, any unqualified individuals collecting samples from markets and publishing the results on social media, outside of the established legal framework, constitutes a serious violation that harms the reputation of Egyptian products both domestically and internationally. It creates confusion among consumers, undermines the confidence of tourists visiting Egypt, and damages the image of an industry operating under a strict regulatory system.
The Chamber President affirmed that Egypt now possesses a modern and advanced regulatory system based on the latest international standards for inspection, sampling, risk management, and traceability. This has contributed to the rise in Egyptian food industry exports in recent years to all regional and international markets, attracting significant foreign investment in manufacturing within Egypt.
Al-Jazairli emphasized that the food industry sector is one of the most important sectors, encompassing thousands of factories and companies that provide millions of direct and indirect job opportunities. It also represents a fundamental pillar in supporting Egypt’s GDP and exports.