Mondelez Opens USD 22 Million Chocolate Crumb Plant in Shah Alam, Malaysia

US snack company Mondelez International has opened a USD 22 million plant in Shah Alam, Malaysia, to produce chocolate crumb, an ingredient used in Cadbury chocolate products that helps create their taste and texture. The new plant makes the ingredient locally instead of importing it from Australia and South Africa. Mondelez said producing it directly in Shah Alam shortens supply-chain lead times by at least two months. The facility is intended to reduce import and transport costs and support sales growth in Southeast Asia over the coming years.

Shah Alam is Mondelez's only Cadbury manufacturing hub in Southeast Asia, producing more than 130 chocolate varieties and about 100 million chocolate bars a year. Cocoa prices have eased after record increases over the past two years, when adverse weather and poor harvests raised costs for chocolate makers. Southeast Asia already plays a broader role in Mondelez's global manufacturing network, with plants serving both domestic and international markets. Its factory in Cikarang, Indonesia, for example, supplies nearly 40 countries including Australia and Japan, while Thailand is an export-oriented hub for gum and candy. Mondelez also currently exports chocolate crumb to Pakistan to help offset supply disruptions caused by shipping-route interruptions.

Mondelez is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, and owns snack brands including Oreo, Ritz, Cadbury and Sour Patch Kids. Formerly Kraft Foods, the company was renamed Mondelez International in 2012 after spinning off its North American grocery business. Mondelez is not the only US company expanding chocolate-related production in Malaysia. US agricultural giant Cargill earlier in 2026 expanded its specialty fats production facility in Port Klang, including capacity for ingredients used in chocolate manufacturing.