Shah Trading Company

What Shah Trading Company does

Shah Trading Company is a privately held, family-founded North American food processing, manufacturing, and wholesale distribution business headquartered in Scarborough, Ontario. Founded in 1974 by two brothers in Montreal, the company operates four manufacturing and distribution facilities totaling more than 400,000 square feet across Scarborough (rice plant, pulse and canning plant, headquarters) and Montreal (nut roasting and distribution), with a combined processing capacity of over 1.7 million pounds of rice, pulses, nuts, and spices per day. The company serves B2B wholesale customers — primarily retailers, restaurants, and food-service operators, with secondary exposure to industrial and private-label partners — across Canada and the United States through a sales-led distribution model with a $1,000 minimum opening order, dedicated sales representatives, and regional delivery across Ontario, Quebec, and NY/NJ.

The company's production stack centers on capital-intensive infrastructure with embedded automation: electric eye sorting technology achieving 99.99% purity on rice, AI-driven quality control, X-ray inspection for canning, spectral analysis for custom spice blending, and integrated efficiency management systems. Rail-enabled facilities can handle up to 200,000 pounds of rice per shipment, and over 40% of raw materials are sourced directly from Canadian farmers in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The company holds HACCP, CFIA, SQF, GFSI, USDA Organic, Kosher COR, Gluten Free, and FDA certifications across all facilities. Its product portfolio is organized under five sub-brands (Dunya Harvest, Dunya, All Seasons, Fresh Nut, New Treasure) plus a comprehensive private-label program offering custom formulation, packaging, and market-specific branding.

Revenue is generated through wholesale food distribution, private-label manufacturing, and custom processing services (spice blending, nut roasting, pulse processing, canning). Pricing is not publicly disclosed and requires wholesale account approval, with transaction-based billing, free delivery above regional thresholds, and ancillary delivery fees. Recent strategic activity has focused on automation and efficiency: Project Cheetah (2022), robotic palletizer implementation (2023), and the Project Cheetah Efficiency Program (2023). The company has remained founder-controlled with no disclosed venture capital, private equity, or public-market financing.

Name

Shah Trading Company

Legal name

Shah Trading Company

Website

https://shahtrading.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Shah Trading Company is a privately held, family-owned North American food processor and wholesale distributor operating four facilities totaling 400,000+ square feet in Ontario and Quebec, processing over 1.7 million pounds of rice, pulses, nuts, and spices daily for retailers, restaurants, and food-service operators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Food Processing and Distribution

NAICS

Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (424)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Nuts, Seeds & Dried Fruit Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Starches, Flours & Milling Products Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAH), Edible Oils & Fats Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAC)

Keywords

• Wholesale food distribution
• Private label manufacturing
• Rice pulse processing
• Nut roasting processing
• Spice blending services

Headquarters

HQ city

Scarborough

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Food Distribution: Bulk food products including rice, pulses, nuts, spices, beans, peas, lentils, grains, flours, oils, and drinks sold to wholesale customers including retailers and restaurants
2. Private Label Manufacturing: Full-service private label program offering product development, formulation, packaging, and market-specific branding for wholesale customers
3. Custom Processing Services: Custom spice blending, nut roasting, pulse processing and canning services for branded partners

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Shah Trading Company is a Canadian food processing, manufacturing, and wholesale distribution company that processes and distributes bulk food products including rice, pulses, beans, peas, lentils, grains, flours, nuts, spices, oils, and drinks. Operating four manufacturing facilities totaling over 400,000 square feet across Ontario and Quebec, the company processes more than 1.7 million pounds of food daily. It sells both branded product lines (Dunya Harvest, Dunya, All Seasons, Fresh Nut, New Treasure) and offers comprehensive private label manufacturing and custom processing services to wholesale buyers across North America.

Product overview

Shah Trading Company operates as North America's premier food solutions provider with a diversified portfolio of food products and processing services. The company offers five main sub-brands: Dunya Harvest (flagship line of rice, beans, peas, lentils, seeds, and specialty flours), Dunya (authentic global flavours including dals and spices), All Seasons (premium spices, herbs, and seasonings), Fresh Nut (premium nuts and dried fruits), and New Treasure (additional brand). Beyond branded products, the company provides comprehensive private label manufacturing services and food processing capabilities including precision nut roasting, custom spice blending with spectral analysis, pulse processing and canning, and quality assurance services. The company operates four high-capacity processing facilities processing over 500,000 pounds daily of rice, pulses, nuts, and spices across North America.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dunya Harvest: Flagship line of rice, beans, peas, lentils, seeds, and specialty flours. Certified with HACCP, CFIA, SQF, Organic, and Kosher certifications. Features sustainable sourcing practices and advanced processing systems.
• Dunya
• All Seasons
• Fresh Nut
• New Treasure

Products and services

• Dunya Harvest Flagship wholesale brand of rice, beans, peas, lentils, seeds, and specialty flours sold to retailers, distributors, and food service businesses in North America.
• Dunya Wholesale brand offering authentic dals (lentils) and spices made with traditional recipes, targeting ethnic food retailers and food service operators across North America.
• All Seasons Signature wholesale line of premium spices, herbs, and seasonings sold to retailers, restaurants, and professional kitchens across North America.
• Fresh Nut Wholesale brand of premium nuts and dried fruits, with operations processing over 40,000 lbs of roasted nuts daily, supplied to retailers and food service customers.
• New Treasure Wholesale consumer brand representing the company's commitment to quality, innovation, and authentic flavours, sold alongside other Shah Trading sub-brands.
• Private Label Manufacturing Program Full-service private label service for retailers and food manufacturers covering product development, formulation, packaging, and market-specific branding using Shah Trading's processing capacity.
• Custom Food Processing Services Custom processing services for branded partners including precision nut roasting, custom spice blending with spectral analysis, pulse processing, and canning operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99.99% rice purity levels through electric eye sorting technology
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves21 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• JFC International: US-based Asian food distributor with rice, noodles, and pantry staples. Comparable in rice and ethnic food distribution but focuses primarily on Asian rather than South Asian/Mediterranean categories.

Direct peers

• AGT Food and Ingredients: Canadian-headquartered global pulse and staple food processor/supplier. Directly comparable as a Canadian pulse, grain, and specialty ingredient manufacturer serving wholesale and food service customers across North America.
• Bob's Red Mill: US specialty miller of flours, grains, cereals, and pulses with strong branded presence in natural foods. Directly comparable in flours, grains, and pulse product categories with focus on quality certifications.
• Riceland Foods: US farmer-owned rice and grain cooperative with rice milling, processing, and branded/private label products. Directly comparable as a vertically integrated rice/grain processor serving wholesale and retail channels.
• Roland Foods: US specialty food importer/wholesaler of rice, grains, spices, oils, and global cuisine ingredients. Directly comparable as a multi-category ethnic and specialty food distributor serving food service and retail.
• Batory Foods: US-based ingredient distributor of flours, grains, spices, and specialty ingredients to food manufacturers and food service. Directly comparable as a multi-category dry ingredient wholesaler with private label capabilities.
• SunRice (Ricegrowers Limited): Australia's largest rice processor and marketer with branded and bulk rice products. Directly comparable in rice processing scale, branded portfolio, and wholesale distribution model.

Broad incumbents

• McCormick & Company: Global spice and seasoning leader with branded and food service/industrial channels. Broad incumbent competitor specifically in the spices/herbs/seasonings category where Shah Trading's All Seasons brand competes.
• Olam Food Ingredients: Global food ingredients platform (dairy, nuts, spices, grains) supplying food manufacturers and retailers worldwide. Broad incumbent competitor with overlapping capabilities in spices, nuts, and grains at much larger global scale.

Emerging players

• Lotus Foods: US specialty rice company focused on heirloom, organic, and sustainable rice varieties. Comparable as a branded rice supplier with strong sustainability positioning; smaller scale and narrower product range.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dunyaharvest
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ShahTradingCompany
• Facebookfacebook.com/DunyaHarvest
• Instagraminstagram.com/dunyaharvest
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shah-trading-company

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shah Trading Company