Dubai: UAE-headquartered Prime Group, leading quality and compliance solutions provider in Asia, Middle East and North Africa, has awarded halal certification to a facility of The Pure Foods Hormel Company, Inc. that produces TENDER JUICY® Chicken Franks and PUREFOODS Corned Beef. The Purefoods Hormel Company, Inc. is a leading food manufacturer in the Philippines.
The collaboration between Prime Group and The Pure Foods Hormel Company, Inc. proves to be both timely and strategic as the global halal food market is expected to grow to USD922.53 billion by 2026 based on a study by Polaris Market Research. The growth is attributed to an increasing Muslim population worldwide and heightened demand even from non-Muslim consumers, coupled with development in the retail sector supply chain. This has prompted leading market players to secure halal certification for their products and obtain access to a wider consumer base.
Salah Ameen, Vice Chairman at Prime Group, said: “Consumers today are now demonstrating a shift in eating and shopping habits. There is now an increased consumer awareness about the nutritional benefits of halal-certified food products. We are delighted to support Pure Foods Hormel, conducting the necessary inspections, assessments and halal certification to enable them to export their highly loved Philippine products to a wider audience in the UAE and its neighbouring countries.”
Prime Group’s provision of halal certification to a facility of The Pure Foods Hormel Company, Inc. is instrumental in driving in growth for the international business of the Philippines’ leading F&B company. This will allow PUREFOODS halal-certified products to enter the UAE, the rest of the GCC countries and other international markets. Additional products in the company’s diverse food portfolio are also expected to be available soon, once they are found to be in compliance with the certification requirements.
Mary Jane Alvero-Al Mahdi, CEO at Prime Group, said: “Prime Group understands the growing demand for halal-certified food and beverages. More and more people have expressed a preference for these products as they are not only safe, clean, and highly nutritional but are also produced, packed and sold according to a set of internationally recognised standards. We welcome the alliance with Pure Foods Hormel, demonstrating Prime Group’s commitment to supporting various international brands‘ foray into the UAE, the Gulf region and beyond.”
Under Prime Group’s business entity, Prime Certification & Inspection, a series of assessments on a facility of The Pure Foods – Hormel Company, Inc. were done for the production of PUREFOODS® Corned Beef and TENDER JUICY® Chicken Franks. As a result, Prime Certification & Inspection found the company in compliance with the requirements needed to acquire halal certification.
Raul Nazareno, representing the management of Pure Foods Hormel, said: “We remain confident that this partnership with Prime Group will play a major part in our continuing efforts to expand into the UAE and the greater Middle East market. Carrying halal certification assures our long-time and first-time consumers that the products we offer are in compliance with strict regulatory standards. This helps us live up to our promise of products and services of uncompromising quality, great taste and value, that are easily within their reach. We would like to thank Prime Group for allowing us to take a step further in this endeavour.”
Prime Group continues to play a lead role not only in implementing internationally recognised halal standards but also in adopting processes that complement the UAE’s position as a global market leader in the halal industry.
According to the State of the Global Islamic Economy Report 2018-19, the UAE ranks first across five key sectors – halal food, halal travel, modest fashion, halal media & recreation, and halal pharmaceuticals & cosmetics. This further reinforces the country’s stance of having one of the world’s most developed Islamic economic ecosystems.
