In a milestone achievement, Al Islami Foods, a trend-setter in real halal food industry, has secured a HACCP certification for 2007 in recognition of implementing quality standards, good practices and procedures established at company’s warehousing and logistic facilities.
Saleh Abdullah Lootah, Chief Executive Officer at Al Islami Foods commented: “The HACCP achievement is the recognition of our commitment to establish best practices and international health and safety standards to provide our consumers with highly nutrient halal products”
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) is a systematic preventative approach to food safety that addresses physical, chemical and biological hazards as a means of prevention rather than finished product inspection. HACCP is used in the food industry to identify potential food safety hazards, so that key measures, known as Critical Control Points (CCP's) could be taken to eliminate the risk of the hazards being realised. The system is used at all stages of food production and preparation processes.
“At Al Islami Foods, quality systems and practices are evolved as part of our organizational DNA” said Hasan Rimawi, Chief Technical Officer at Al Islami Foods. “Since the company pioneered its halal technology, it took aggressive initiatives and raised its performance bar to bolster its commitment in delivering
Quality halal foods that consumers love and trust. Achieving higher standards through the warehouse HACCP certification is an example of how Al Islami implement stringent quality processes to ensure complete safe and halal controlled products from farm to fork”, added Rimawi.
Under rigorous inspection procedures, Al Islami Foods successfully met all requirements of HACCP certification along with auditor’s highly positive remarks on the documentation of the HACCP system and GWP (Good Warehousing Practices) - "Very good warehousing practices are put in place and practiced with well detailed work-flow charts and thorough hazard analysis checklists", remarked Mr. Jawamir Nehad from SGS. For the first time in its 26-year history, the company has been exempted from Pre-Assessment Audit and Document Review, a critical fundamental phase of the audit.
About Al Islami Foods
Established as CO-OP ISLAMI in 1981 to cater to the growing demand for halal food in the Arab world, AL ISLAMI FOODS was formed as a result of the long relentless efforts commenced in the early seventies when Hajj Saeed Bin Ahmad Lootah instituted Dubai Co-operative Society. Starting with its successful frozen chicken product line, AL ISLAMI FOODS expanded its operations to include mutton and beef.
In 1991, Dubai Co-operative Society's efforts were culminated by establishing its "CO-OP ISLAMI" meat processing plant in Jebel Ali Free Zone. This plant is considered a recognizable breakthrough as it became the real producer of a variety of food products under the name "CO-OP ISLAMI", after being produced outside the country on its behalf. AL ISLAMI FOODS products are considered as quality benchmark trusted by consumers across the UAE and the GCC, and this has made it one of the best and most preferred brands in the region
