Hilina launches Maleda Peanut Butter in Addis Ababa retail promoting safe, nutritious eating

ETHIOPIA – Ethiopia-based food manufacturer, Hilina Enriched Foods PLC, has launched its ‘Maleda Peanut Butter’ at All Mart and Friendship Supermarkets in Addis Ababa, expanding the company’s commercial presence in Ethiopia’s growing consumer nutrition market.

First introduced to the public in 2024, Maleda Peanut Butter is reportedly Aflatoxin-Safe, having undergone careful testing to ensure its conformance to established safety standards. 

The product is also enriched with healthy fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals, aligning with Hilina’s broader vision of being a brand of choice in nutritional food products in East Africa.

Founded in 1998, Hilina Enriched Foods PLC was established with a specific mandate: to manufacture and process a range of food products specifically designed to combat various forms of malnutrition and other micronutrient deficiencies affecting children and other vulnerable groups in Ethiopia. 

The company’s strategic evolution began in 2006 when Nutriset of France joined as a shareholder, strengthening Hilina’s technical capabilities and regional influence in both the institutional and commercial markets in Ethiopia and the East African region. 

Hilina’s product portfolio includes well-recognized names in therapeutic and enriched foods, namely, Plumpy’Nut® (RUTF), Plumpy’Sup™ (RUSF), Sheba Peanut Butter, Sheba Peanut Splits and Tafo Iodized Salt.

Initially, the company focused on Vitamin A-enriched sugar and iodized salt for distribution through UN agencies, NGOs, and public markets. Over the years, it has expanded significantly in both scale and sophistication, installing modern machinery and developing an on-site food laboratory to ensure quality and innovation.

Today, Hilina stands as a state-of-the-art comprehensive food production facility, specializing in the production of more nutritious and therapeutic foods for children to address the significant gap in the national food production system.

With a production staff of over 250 employees and through its network of local suppliers, Hilina plays a significant role in the local economy, contributing to the country’s food security.

Hilina’s support towards national nutrition efforts

Further demonstrating its humanitarian mission, Hilna recently donated 24,300 sachets of Plumpy’Sup through “Wings Of Healing” to support children suffering from Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) at the China IDP Camp in Debre Berhan. 

Valued at over 1 million ETB (US$7,418.40), the donation underscores Hilina’s enduring commitment to saving lives and nurturing hope where it is most needed. 

“For us, helping children isn’t just a part of our work, it’s our responsibility, passion, promise, and the heart of who we are,” the company shared. “We believe no child should go to bed hungry and no parent should feel helpless in the face of malnutrition.”

The company also take pride in being a key player in Ethiopia’s journey toward national food fortification, drawing on decades of experience in producing lifesaving nutritional products.

On June 5, 2025, Hilina participated in the national workshop on “Enabling Large Scale Food Fortification Ecosystems in Ethiopia,” hosted by the Yadam Foundation and GAIN Ethiopia. 

The event spotlighted the country’s growing momentum in mandatory fortification of key staples, including wheat flour, edible oil, and salt, a public health strategy aimed at combating widespread micronutrient deficiencies.

In a public statement, Hilina expressed pride in contributing to this national journey, drawing on its long-standing experience in producing lifesaving nutritional products. 

At the same time, the company emphasized that critical gaps remain, especially in areas such as monitoring and enforcement, public awareness, and the need to enable a supportive business environment to make large-scale fortification both feasible and sustainable.

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