Co-Op Islami participation at Gulfood generates interest in international markets

Co-Op Islami was among 660 companies that participated in the four-day event. The company had set up a purpose-built state of the art exhibition stand that allowed Co-Op Islami officials to meet its suppliers and distributors and included a small kitchen area to hold daily cooking demonstrations using Co-Op Islami products and give visitors an opportunity to sample the great taste of real halal food.

Co-Op Islami also used the exhibition to announce the Aladdin range of processed meat products targeting children, and the launch of a new subsidiary company, Emdad which is dedicated to offering high quality catering services.

Co-Op Islami Managing Director, Mr. Saleh Saeed Lootah, said: "We are delighted with the great response that was received for our products during Gulf Food Exhibition. The Co-Op Islami stand was a big hit with visitors and also helped us get to know new customers. The new business initiatives announced during the exhibition are aimed at further strengthening the company's leadership position in the provision of real Halal products throughout the region."

He added: "We are currently processing the numerous queries we received from visitors, particularly on exports of Co-Op Islami products to new international markets. We are also looking into the suggestions made by certain customers to enter into strategic partnerships that will allow us to set up logistics and manufacturing centres in those countries for the mutual benefit of the two sides".

Co-Op Islami has been approached by customers from new markets like United Kingdom, Iran, Holland and Algeria while the company is also looking into the possibility of exporting to the United States based on the feedback of customers, who visited the Co-Op Islami stand.

Export queries have also been received from customers in Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Algeria, Pakistan, India, Malaysia and Armenia.

The exhibition also provided Co-Op Islami officials the opportunity to meet and discuss future business trends and terms with the company's suppliers from United Kingdom, Brazil, Australia, Cyprus and Austria and prospective suppliers from Turkey, Holland and Egypt on new Co-Op Islami products to be launched.

Co-Op Islami was set up as the Dubai Cooperative Society in 1981 to provide genuine halal meat products as per Islamic methods with chicken the first product launched by the company and today Co-Op Islami enjoys a sizable share of the market in the Gulf.

After starting with frozen chicken, Co-Op Islami expanded to provide burgers, sausages, kebabs and minced meat. In 1991 the Co-op Islami plant, boasting state-of-the-art technology, was set up in Jebel Ali Free Zone. New machinery has recently been introduced to further enhance production and quality

Chickens remain the biggest element of the Co-Op Islami product range from whole frozen chickens to pieces and nuggets. The chickens that are sold by Co-Op Islami are also raised by using 100 per cent natural grain feed while most other chicken farms use animal feed.

The company's commitment to quality was recognised when it became the only factory in the UAE to achieve HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) certification in 2001 following on from the award of ISO 9001 and other certifications.

ends