Business Enquirer Issue 123 | Al Islami Foods | March 2024

A STORY OF CONTINUED GROWTH FOR LEADING HALAL FOOD PRODUCER

A STORY OF CONTINUED GROWTH FOR LEADING HALAL FOOD PRODUCER

AL ISLAMI FOODS

PROJECT DIRECTED BY:

ADEL MHIRI

ARTICLE WRITTEN BY:

LAURA WATLING

Known as the leader in halal foods for five decades, Al Islami Foods has learnt the importance of moving with the times.

Founded in the 1970‘s, as what has been described as the “role model of modern-day Supermarket”, the Dubai based business has grown to become one of the biggest food distributors in the region, supplying to Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Yemen, Jordan, the Seychelles, Libya, the Maldives and Mauritius etc.

Its founder, Haj Saeed Lootah is a renowned, self-made businessman, who, over the course ofhis career became an accomplished tutor, author, economist, banker, entrepreneur, philanthropist, businessman and visionary community leader.

Throughout his career, he established the Port Saeed Region, the first Islamic bank (Dubai Islamic Bank), and the first Islamic insurance company (IAIC). Additionally, he invested his time in establishing several educational facilities including the Islamic School of Education, the Orphan Education Foundation, Dubai Medical College for Girls, the College of Pharmacy of Girls, as well as several research and technical facilities.

Ultimately, Haj Saeed Lootah’s vision was to ‘make things better’ by empowering people to excel at everything they do.

Stepping into the inspirational leader’s footsteps is Al Islami Foods CEO, Nasser Talib Nasser, taking on the role in November 2022.

Throughout his career, Nasser has been committed to enhancing the wellbeing of his employees and the broader

community. Whilst at Desert Group, he provided employment for 40 special needy individuals and ensured that all staff received comprehensive training to remain updated with modern technology and practices. He also drove the complete rebranding of the company and implemented Navision, a robust IT system that significantly improved efficiency and operations.

Accomplished and visionary Board

Member and Strategic Planner, Nasser has extensive experience in managing and growing successful businesses, and is onboard to continue to steer Al Islami Foods into the future.

“As leaders in Halal Foods, our strategy is to remain focused on developing and launching nutritious, innovative and healthy halal products to satisfy the appetites of our consumers, regionally and internationally,” shared Nasser, “we have

AL ISLAMI FOODS

recently expanded our presence in Qatar further, with plans to offer our customers a wider range of products in 2024”.

An Unwavering Commitment to Quality

Under the Al Islami brand umbrella, Al Islami Foods produces a wide range of premium halal frozen foods, which celebrates culinary diversity. These products include whole chickens, burgers, nuggets, sausages, seafood, fries, vegetables, fruit and many other snacking products.

“We employ an international team of chefs who are always busy developing new recipes to enhance our product range. These recipes are validated through independent consumer sensory panels,” explained Nasser, “thanks to this input we have been able to aggressively expand the product range in all of our categories”.

Its state–of–the–art, 10,000 m2 processing facility, located in the Sharjah Hamriyah Free Zone is the largest in the region, and supports the business in its unwavering commitment to quality and transparency.

To ensure this commitment, Al Islami Foods monitors and controls critical points in its processing line to ensure consistent quality, including regular product testing for microbiological contaminants, and chemical residue. In addition, final products pass through a metal detector and X-ray inspection belt to ensure that the products are completely free from any foreign objects.

“Continual development of our processes is crucial to our growth, and so we have implemented a system for continuous improvement, regularly reviewing and updating processes based on feedback, audits, and performance data,” explained Nasser.

Employing the latest equipment and highest safety standards, Al Islami Foods has the capacity to produce 18,000 metric tons per year, and has recently enhanced its sausage line production capacity to 1500 metric tons per year.

Al Islami Foods CEO, Nasser Talib Nasser

Coasul Cooperativa Agroindustrial, with almost 55 years of tradition in Brazilian agribusiness, has a national outstanding position. Its chicken meat production plant, located in the city of São João, Paraná state, was inaugurated in 2010 and is one of the most modern in Brazil, with a daily slaughtering capacity of 160 thousand chicken.

With its new brand, LeVida, entered the international market, representing the high quality of its products, which meet the standards of the most demanding markets in the world. LeVida products are exported to many countries, following the rules of Halal slaughter in all its production.

The industry design featured bold investments and focused on three main points: Traceability, Food Security and Sustainability.

By acting comprehensively in agribusiness, Coasul holds total control of the production chain, producing grains (like corn and soy), which are processed into animal feed in its own factories to feed poultry, which are raised by its producers cooperative. This allows all processes to be tracked, ensuring food safety and quality in all the brand products Le Vida.

Food safety and quality of LeVida products are the result of tight controls, following programs such as Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP), among others.

LeVida products are produced within sustainable practices. Such cares go beyond the production process, with the use of rainwater for external processes, use of reforested wood, care animal welfare, use of biodegradable products, and green logistics, which prevents the disposal of poultry waste on the roads during transport to the slaughterhouse.

For having total control of production processes, the Coasul is extremely versatile and can adapt its products to the specific needs of each client.

AL ISLAMI FOODS

“We are dedicated to continual Capex investment into automation and digital technology to improve our performance,” he added.

Additionally, it has established a robust distribution network with its more than 5,000 customers,cand has founded the biggest logistics facility in the region at the Dubai Investment Park.

Implementing innovations across its business, Al Islami Foods’ distribution fleet is equipped with an advanced tracking GPS system for better control over trucks.

“Currently, we are implementing a new software for route optimisation, as well as territory planning using the latest technology bringing more efficiency into our distribution model,” said Nasser.

Its commitment to quality has been recognised by the industry, with Al Islami Foods receiving a raft of awards, most recently including the Super Brand of the Year Award 2018, Best Halal Consumer Brand 2020 from iHalal International and ranked among the top Halal Food brands in OIC 2023.

Al Islami Kids Club

FOODS

“We have been successful in achieving and maintaining high quality standards through strong control over raw material, procurement, manufacturing and supply chain processes,” shared Nasser.

Developing Sustainability Credentials

In accordance with the UAE’s own sustainability and clean energy strategies, Al Islami Foods is actively implementing sustainable practices for environmentally conscious and ethical food production.

The business is employing waste reduction strategies and recycling initiatives. This includes proper disposal of by-products and exploring ways to recycle waste materials. In addition it is implementing water conservation measures in its processing operations, which involves efficient water management practices, and technologies to reduce water waste.

“As part of our measures to remain a leader in the industry, we are studying the feasibility of establishing an Effluent Treatment Plant to treat wastewater for subsequent reuse, such as in gardening and washing purposes. We’re also exploring where to invest in energyefficient technologies within our processing facilities,” explained Nasser.

Its aims include the use of renewable energy sources such as solar panels on its logistics facility, energy-efficient machinery, and advanced technologies to minimise energy consumption. It is also planning to shift from chemicalbased cleaning agents to plant-based alternatives.

“This shift not only reduces the environmental impact of cleaning

activities but also aligns with a broader commitment to eco-friendly practices,” Nasser continued.

In addition to these measures, Al Islami Foods prioritises partnership with farms and suppliers that adhere to sustainable agricultural practices, such as organic farming and humane animal treatment.

Through these practices, which also includes community education, Al Islami aims to not only produce high-quality meat products but also contribute positively to the environment and community. www.alislamifoods.com

For more than six decades, Seara has been enriching mealtime experiences for families spanning 150 countries, solidifying our position as a global food brand rooted in integrity.

Our extensive array of “In-Natura” meats and poultry, available in both frozen and fresh varieties, alongside pre-cooked and

guaranteeing excellence at every stage of production. This dedication to quality is a trait shared with our parent company, the JBS Group, renowned as the foremost producer of chicken and beef globally, with expanding operations in key markets such as China, England, Kuwait, France,Germany, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates.

Springsnow Food Group Co., Ltd. is located in Laiyang City, Shandong Province. It specializes in the research and development, production, and sales of processed chicken food, having the feed mill production and chicken farming. It is committed to becoming a leading enterprise in the Chinese chicken industry.

The company has a high reputation and market share in the field, with two brands“Spring Snow” and“ Shangxian”. The domestic market mainly targets catering, supermarkets, online, new retail, convenience stores, and B2B supply.

The company has long term suppliers of fast food chains, Hema Xiansheng, Wal Mart, RT Mart, China Resources ole, Jiajiayue, Yonghui and other large supermarket chains at home and abroad, JD, Tmall and other e-commerce platforms, and family Mart stores.

The export market mainly targets more than 20 countries and regions such as Japan, the European Union, the United Kingdom, the Middle East, and South Korea. The chicken“Shangxian”brand jointly created by the company and JD has ranked first in JD’s fresh chicken sales for six consecutive years (as of the end of 2022).

In order to meet the needs of industry development, the company has always adhered to a high sense of social responsibility and mission since its establishment, always focusing on practicing the national development strategy, adhering to high standards, strict requirements, and highquality development, and has a good consumer reputation and brand influence.

It has developed into a leading chicken seasoning food processing enterprise in the industry. In October 2021, Springsnow was officially listed for trading on the main board of the Shanghai Stock Exchange (stock code“605567”).

In the coming years, we will firmly stick to the goal of becoming a leading industry in the highquality cooked food segment of Chinese broiler chicken. We will closely rely on technological progress, continuously improve management level, effectively enhance innovation ability, continuously expand brand influence, support“scale”with“high quality”, and amplify“high quality”with“scale”. Together, we will work together to contribute to the country and society, and make greater contributions to partners and investors.

www.alislamifoods.com

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