Canada-based food-tech company Eshbal Functional Food is set to enhance its North American footprint with the local production of gluten-free pita bread in the US.
The decision indicates a significant step in the company’s strategy to cater to the growing demand for gluten-free products.
Eshbal intends to locally manufacture and distribute the pita bread, which is entirely plant-based and aligns with health-focused ingredient standards.
The gluten-free pita bread, previously exported from Israel, will be initially available in a frozen format in the US, with plans for a shelf-stable version to enhance accessibility.
Eshbal CEO Tomer Bar Meir said: “From day one, M&A has been a key part of our strategy, and this transaction represents one of the many steps we intend to take.
“Swonder Bread brings unique and hard-to-develop know-how that fits perfectly with our long-term goals.
“We see immediate opportunities to grow this business in Israel, and we believe the underlying technology offers exciting potential for future product development in North America as well.”
In addition to the pita launch, Eshbal has acquired Swonder Bread, an Israeli bakery specialising in sprouted gluten-free sourdough products.
The acquisition includes proprietary recipes, trademarks, and production equipment, expanding Eshbal’s offerings in the clean-label and gut-health product space.
Swonder’s products, which are gluten-free and plant-based, use a natural fermentation process with sprouted grains to enhance digestibility.
Eshbal plans to leverage Swonder’s intellectual property for future North American offerings.
