Al Hathboor Foods and Orley Foods line up customized product range at the 2006 Gulfood Exhibition

Also joining hands with AHF are Berfin (South Africa), Dawn (Canada) and Gray & Company (U.S.A).

Orley Foods, a recent recipient of the South African food industry's award for technical innovation and capability from The South African Association for Food Science and Technology (SAAFoST), are promoting chocolate coatings & real fruit ripples for the ice cream industry along with advanced reduced carbohydrate couverture coatings and chocolate chips for the biscuit industry. Existing customers for these renowned Orley products include Nestle, Unilever, General Mills (Pilsbury) and Kraft Foods.

Besides these, Orley Foods are also promoting a variety of ice cream coatings and couvertures tailored to meet the climatic challenges of the region, in addition to a range of bake stable fruit fillings and jams for the confectionery and bakery markets. Offerings for food service and hospitality markets include a convenient "ready to use" chocolate fountain couverture offering. Perennial Orley-Gulfood favourite, the Caramel confectionery spread, is also making an appearance in a convenient new pack size.

"AHF and Orley Foods, utilizes the exhibition to proactively engage and network with industrial food manufacturers," says Mr. Rajesh Sharma, General Manager of Al Hathboor Foods. "Our participation assumes greater significance considering the tremendous response received during the previous edition that eventually resulted in mutually beneficial associations. AHF / Orley Foods expects the same kind of response, if not more, during the 2006 edition also," he adds.

"The Middle East market is a strategic platform for us to develop our export business and grow beyond South and Southern Africa," opines Mr. Saul Abrahams, Sales & Marketing Manager of Orley Foods. "The past ten years in the Middle East and especially the Gulf have been tough but rewarding as brand recognition and acceptance for Orley's products has grown thanks to the Gulfood Exhibition and we have successfully proved ourselves in one of the most open and competitive markets in the world," he adds.

Orley Foods has plans to entrench their penetration further into the chocolate and confectionery products in the Foodservice, Hospitality and Bakery markets; further developing opportunities as a first choice supplier of customized food ingredient solutions to established national and multi-national organizations in the Middle East.

To achieve this, Orley Foods is further strengthening their ties with AHF, their regional business associate for more than a decade now. AHF's insight into the Dubai & regional markets has been a critical component of Orley's success in the region and it shares Orley's uncompromising standards and vision for Food Safety, Quality (including HACCP & ISO 9001), and professional approach, which has enabled a regional food partnership that is above reproach.