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SouqExtra! Ewan Center Embraces New Retail Trend

Dubai, UAE – 25 January 2012: SouqExtra!, the national chain of community supercenters, has experienced a 48 percent increase in daily footfall corresponding to the positive reception of its concept by the local retail community and the confident outlook for the UAE retail sector.

SouqExtra! officials announced this encouraging trend during a cake cutting ceremony held with retail partners and community members to mark  the second anniversary of its flagship outlet at Ewan Residences in Dubai Investment Park.

The Anniversary celebration is the first major event on SouqExtra!’s 2012 Activity Calendar. The entertainment needs of children during this event have also been given a special care with bouncing castle, clowns, magic show and a host of other fun filled activities that will continue for 3 days.

Speaking on the occasion, Saleh Abdullah Lootah, Managing Director of SouqExtra! said “These new figures are very astounding, and are driven by the increased consumer confidence in the UAE and the rising demand for modern retailing concepts, such as SouqExtra!”.

This is backed by the Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED) who stated that consumer confidence in Dubai rose during the fourth quarter of 2011 compared to the previous quarter.  The confidence index increased from 15 points to 125, boosted by a 22 per cent in survey respondents’ optimism of an economic recovery over the next 12 months.

“Our operational model, that revolves around the needs and unique demographics of the residential communities in which we are based, has proved very successful and has been praised by retail partners and consumers alike,” said Justin Wilshaw, the Chief Executive Officer of SouqExtra!.

Attending to the local community demand at SouqExtra! Ewan Residences, new retail space has been allocated for more services including a coffee shop, a driving institute and a sunglass offer according to  Mr Wilshaw.

Building on the lifestyle supercenter’s community-centric character the first year anniversary celebrations at SouqExtra! Ewan Residences saw a 100% increase in daily footfall.

SouqExtra! is a pioneering lifestyle supercenter model, representing an innovative retail concept shaped by extensive research into outlet positioning as well as the quality and variety of services offered. It offers an innovative program that encourages local entrepreneurs to enter the exciting retail scene, and focuses on providing access to amenities and services that connect consumers’ professional and family life to the larger community, adding something Extra! to life.

- Ends -

About SouqExra!

SouqExtra! is the name of neighbourhood community-focused centers, with integrated primary services such as high-end grocery, kids’ play area, fast food outlets, coffee shops, full-fledged gymnasium, salon, photo shop and community hall, all designed to help the community meet their daily needs. SouqExtra’s tagline “My Favourite Place” sums up the concept’s unique sales proposition. The gyms, for instance, will offer the full range of fitness equipment, complete with a trainer. The community hall will be rented out to residents for hosting parties, birthdays, events, celebrations, family gatherings and other community activities. The Phase 1 of SouqExtra will add retail space of 500,000 sq. ft. in UAE. Each SouqExtra centre will boast a uniform design with a friendly ambience and ample parking spaces, to serve as a one-stop shop for day to day needs of the community.

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Kingsmill has announced it has officially been certified by the Halal Food Authority as halal-compliant.

The majority of the brand’s products are suitable for vegetarians – with the exception of Kingsmill 50/50 with Omega 3, which contains fish-derived Omega 3 – and while they have always been suitable for a halal diet, the firm said it sought recognition to tie in with its packaging relaunch, announced last month.

This accreditation certifies that those Kingsmill bread and bakery goods with the Halal Food Authority logo are allowed under Islamic dietary guidelines, said the firm.

Guy Shepherd, category director at Allied Bakeries, said: “This demonstrates our dedication to catering to differing consumer needs. The accreditation means that it’s easy and simple for retailers and consumers to be confident that these products are suitable for a halal diet.”

There are a number of ingredients that may be found in bakery that are not halal. According to the Islamic Services of America, L-Cysteine is an amino acid used as a dough conditioner and is often sourced from duck feathers or human hair, although there are synthetic versions available. Shortenings, such as lard, may also be made from animal sources.

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Goh De No
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

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NEW YORK, NY, Dec 08, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) — Food safety tops the list of an annual survey asking Americans to choose the most significant food story of 2011. Even in a year when global food prices hit record highs and both restaurant menus and retail food labels got a new look, the safety of the American food supply dominated the headlines and consumers took notice. The survey was commissioned by Hunter Public Relations, a leading public relations agency specializing in the food and beverage industry.

Now in its ninth year, the Hunter PR food survey provides a look back at the top food-related stories of each year. To compile the 2011 list, the Hunter PR Food Group collaborated with industry experts, including Phil Lempert, editor of Supermarket Guru; Regina Ragone, food director of Family Circle; Elizabeth Fassberg, owner of food and nutrition consultancy Eat Food; Brad Thompson, chef and restaurant consultant; and Megan Steintrager, freelance food writer and editor. After polling 1,000 Americans, the following were named the top three food-related stories of 2011:

#1: Twenty-Nine Deaths Caused by Cantaloupe Listeria Outbreak To date, 29 people have died, and another 133 were made ill from tainted cantaloupe in 2011. Traced to bacteria growing on packing equipment at Colorado’s Jensen Farms, the incident is already the second largest listeria outbreak in U.S. history.

#2: First Lady Michelle Obama with USDA Unveils MyPlate, Replaces Food Pyramid For the second year in a row, First Lady Michelle Obama was part of one of the top food stories of the year. Together with the USDA, she revealed MyPlate, the new dietary guidelines campaign, replacing the 20-year-old food pyramid.

#3: Global Food Prices Hit Record High The number three spot finds its home at the intersection of food and finance: global food prices skyrocketed in 2011, putting pressure on the restaurant, travel and hotel industries. To avoid passing costs to consumers, companies are scrambling to renegotiate contracts, find cheaper suppliers and reconfigure menus.

The survey also revealed how consumer behavior was impacted by these stories and how these stories will affect Americans in the coming year.

Digesting Food News

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KUWAIT: The Philippines needs more exposure to a ‘highly competitive Kuwaiti market,’ said Dr Hani M Al-Mazeedi, Associate Research Scientist at the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR). Speaking before the delegation of Filipino business representatives from food sectors, Al-Mazeedi said that the Philippines has a lot more to do when it comes to securing Kuwaiti consumer’s trust when it comes to buying products.

I think the fact that food products from the Philippines were not exposed to Kuwaiti market they need a lot more of ‘convincing power’ to persuade us [Kuwaitis] to buy your food products. An exhibition of this kind will help, but I proposed that a commercial trading facility is necessary. They need to introduce their products and explain the ingredients to consumers,” he added.

He also proposed labeling all their products/ingredients with ‘halal’ as many in Kuwait would prefer to eat/use halal food products under the supervision of Halal Certification Board of the Philippines. The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) is visiting the country as part of the Middle East roadshow, which will take them to Qatar, UAE and Saudi Arabia.

The message of Philippine Ambassador to Kuwait Shulan Primavera was read out by Vice Consul Rea Oreta during the event. He said, the event was being held at a unfortunate time when the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Kuwait was shut down a year of operations.

Short-lived as it was, it helped sustain opportunities to promote the Philippines as a viable investment destination with the entry of Kuwait Gulf Link in Clarkfield Pampanga,” he said. “KGL invested over a billion dollars in developing of global gateway logistics city which could generate of up to 70,000 new jobs,” the envoy added. He said, the Philippines is awaiting promised investments from Alghanim and Alshaya group of companies.

In terms of product availability in Kuwait, Primavera noted that almost all major supermarkets here have already been selling products which captured not just the Filipino market but also the Kuwaiti and other expat groups alike. He revealed that the 2009 CITEM exhibition in Kuwait produces about US $10 million worth of contracts.

That is why we are supporting such exhibitions which are constant variables in our economic work plan, support the proposal to relax documentary procedures for our exporters, reduce the cost of authentication fees for documents and shortens the clearance period for trade samples in addition to relaxing visa requirements for visiting businessmen and exporters to the Philippines,” he stated.

Jojie Dinsay, Commercial Attache for the GCC region, remarked that the food exhibition has offered a very good opportunity for both the delegates and prospective buyers to penetrate Philippines and Kuwaiti markets. According to Dinsay, food accounts for 35 percent of Philippines’ total exports to Kuwait.

Some of our top food exports were tuna [15 percent], fresh bananas [14 percent] canned and fish products [4.5 percent]. Kuwait serves as the gateway to the Iraqi and Saudi Arabia. However, it still has a lot of untapped potential as a market for our world-class food products.” There are 12 companies from the Philippines that participated in a one-day food exhibition event held at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel last Thursday.

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In a speech to Parliament yesterday, backbencher Luke Simpkins said most Australians did not know that most of the meat they ate came from animals killed in accordance with Muslim law.

“By having Australians unwittingly eating Halal food we are all one step down the path towards the conversion, and that is a step we should only make with full knowledge and one that should not be imposed upon us without us knowing,” Mr Simpkins told Parliament.

Mr Simpkins said he had carried out an unofficial survey in his northern-suburbs electorate of Cowan and had discovered that most meat at major chains such as Coles or Woolworths had been killed under Halal conditions, but had not been labelled as such.

He tabled a petition demanding that all Halal meat be clearly identified, complaining people could not buy meat for their “Aussie barbecue” without the influence of the “minority religion”.

Mr Simpkins said that Mohammed the prophet of Islam had talked of how the religion could be expanded around the world by getting people to eat Halal meat.

He reportedly said, ‘The non-believers will become Muslims when, amongst other things, they eat the meat that we have slaughtered’. This is one of the key aspects to converting non-believers to Islam,” Mr Simpkins said.

The petition tabled by Mr Simpkins had been organised by the Barnabas Fund, an organisation that supports Christians living in Muslim countries.

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said Opposition Leader Tony Abbott should pull Mr Simpkins into line.

“All members of Parliament should be looking to promote understanding and harmony between religions. Mr Simpkins has done the complete opposite,” he said.

Nick Butterly, Canberra, The West Australian

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FOOD company Brunei Halal, part of the global Wafiri Holdings brand, has opened a new sales and distribution centre in Birmingham.

The company has signed a five-year lease on a 25,000 sq ft unit at Saltley Business Park and created 30 new jobs in the process.

The company supplies halal dry foods such as biscuits, snacks and crisps, confectionary and noodles.

Agents on the scheme are Birmingham-based GBR Phoenix Beard.

Dr Mohammad Nazir OBE, chief executive of Brunei Halal, said: “We looked at a number of options for a base for our UK and European sales and distribution centre and Saltley Business Park provided an excellent match to our search criteria.

“The appeal of certified Halal products has increased significantly over recent years and we see significant potential to grow our brand across Europe.”

Saltley Business Park is owned by Hansteen UK ‘Industrial Property Unit Trust’ and was acquired in December 2010 from receivers acting for Lloyds Banking Group.

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Pure Halal Beauty, a store dedicated solely to Halal Certified and Vegan Registered beauty products, opened its doors last Christmas in Birmingham’s Pavilions Shopping Centre. Now less than a year after opening the business is booming.

Rose’s dedication to providing the best Halal Certified beauty products has led her to create her own range “The PHB Collection.” Her collection has nearly 80 unique cosmetic and skincare products and is hand-made in the UK using the finest, all natural ingredients and eco-friendly packaging.

Rose says the response to her new range has been overwhelming, “People have been really positive. I have had support and encouragement from around the country (through our website) from people who are so happy to have found us. Muslims, vegans and vegetarians love our products because they don’t conflict with their personal and religious beliefs. Our products also appeal to the conscious consumer who’s looking for chemical-free beauty products. People who want to use natural, ethical and beneficial beauty products are always so pleased with our phenomenal range as well as our extremely affordable prices!”

As well as launching her PHB Collection, Rose has teamed up with City College Birmingham to offer apprenticeships to young students. “This time last year I was a student myself so I understand how difficult it is for young people trying to find work. I’m really pleased to be able to offer students the opportunity to gain vital work experience with Pure Halal Beauty.”

While many people would baulk at the idea of setting up a business in the current climate Rose welcomes the challenge, “Some people think I’m crazy(!) but I have great belief in the products I’m selling and the prospects for expansion are looking very promising.”

“Pure Halal Beauty – Where Beauty and Belief Co-exist”

The new PHB ranges are available to customers worldwide at www.purehalalbeauty.com and in-store at Level 2, The Pavilions Shopping Centre, Birmingham, UK.

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Preserving our Children’s Imaan

A few years back, if someone was asked to name a Halal confectionery brand, they would be lost for words; namely because there was no such thing as a Halal confectionery manufacturer, not in the UK at least.

In contrast, what we find today is a Halal UK confectionery market which has been inundated with many companies offering a diverse range of confectionery, ranging from Jelly sweets to Marshmallows to Chews and Bubblegum, Candy Floss and the list continues.

Although the initial influx of entrepreneurship from several Muslim-backed or owned companies gave rise to the increased trend for Halal confectionary sales, it has inevitably been due to the large corporate confectionery manufacturers, that we have seen this surge in the Halal confectionery consumer market.

According to KasehDia Research & Consultancy’s European Halal Food Sector Report, the Halal industry was worth approximately £41 billion in 2009; and with forecasts for the Muslim population in Europe to double within the next 20 years to the region of 100 million, there lies a very lucrative market with huge opportunities for those willing to invest their time and money, and investigate into the intricate nature of the Halal industry.

While the Halal confectionery market remains one of the more promising sectors of the Halal industry, it has in recent times been faced with a series of culpable issues, such as those relating to Halal certification and their respective bodies, uncertainties concerning the use of ingredients such as Gelatine, Alcohol, Colourings and Flavourings, and last but not least, the production process which the confectionery ultimately goes through before being packaged and marketed for the target Muslim audience.

Gradually information has become more readily available to consumers, firstly from a Shariah point of view from within the Muslim Community itself and secondly from the wider legislative requirements necessitating the provision of certain dietary, health and safety information.  As such Muslim consumers have an increased awareness which has resulted, to some extent, in apprehension in regards to whether what they are eating is actually Halal.

Muslim consumers will derive benefit from this, as Halal confectionery manufacturers along with their counterparts in the Halal industry have taken a keen and willing approach into looking at the many different issues that have arisen and those that may emanate.  The main areas of concern are gelatine, food additives, colouring and alcohol, and the manufacturing process that the confectionery goes through.   An additional vital factor, which concerns all three points mentioned, is related to the Halal certification and the Organisation(s) providing the relevant checks and ascertaining that the products are fit for consumption for Muslims as per Islamic Shariah requirements.

Taking a closer look at some of these important issues will give an appreciation of the complexities and challenges faced by the Halal confectionery industry, as well as the need for an authentic, reliable and competent Halal authentication system.

Recently there has been a fair amount of controversy concerning the gelatine used in the manufacturing of Halal jelly sweets.  There are several countries where Halal gelatine is manufactured, some of which are Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand.  Halal gelatine is manufactured using the skin and bones of animals that are slaughtered according to Shariah (Islamic Law).

The problem that has arisen is that several of the abattoirs that were visited by Muslim inspectors in various countries, did not meet the Shariah requirements when it came to slaughtering the animal.

Along with this, there were issues of contamination as well as mixing of skin and bones from Swine and non-halal animals.  This puts a considerable element of doubt on whether the gelatine that is produced using the residue of these animals is Halal.  This problem was widely highlighted in Brazil where a very large portion of the gelatine is produced and then sourced for Halal jelly sweets manufactured for the European market including the UK. 

On the contrary, there are places such as Pakistan where the controls and checks regarding the slaughtering of animals and manufacturing of gelatine were better enacted.  Clearly this was due to Pakistan being a Muslim country and certain governmental regulations stipulating the use of Shariah compliant methods.

One may ask why companies are obtaining gelatine from the likes of Argentina or Brazil, when the gelatine from say Pakistan is more reliable for the Muslim consumer.  Well, it boils down to several factors; firstly confectionery companies and manufacturing plants are too complacent with the Halal assurance provided by way of certifications by the gelatine manufacturers.  Secondly, due to the lack of Islamic knowledge relating to the food industry as a whole, many important issues are overlooked or neglected, by all parties involved in the manufacturing of the confectionery.  Finally, the price of gelatine plays a large part in all of this, being cheaper and more readily available from somewhere like Brazil as opposed to Pakistan; it allows companies to price their confectionery competitively and ultimately generate more profit.  In spite of this, it is encouraging to see some Halal confectionery manufacturers having a genuine concern for the Muslim consumers at large and using Pakistani gelatine for the manufacturing of Halal jelly sweets.

Food additives and colouring is another area where consumers and sweet manufacturers need to be cautious.  Many of these additives and colours contain animal or insect based ingredients which render the confectionery unlawful for Muslim consumers.  We need to bear in mind that there is always an alternative vegetarian source for such ingredients.  Furthermore some of these additives have health and dietary issues that have legislative restrictions on their use in food products that are being sold in the UK, which otherwise may be suitable to use in other countries.  Often such ingredients will be masked by E numbers, thus leaving consumers unaware as to what is actually contained within.  Fortunately the trend is changing towards labelling ingredients with their official name.

Unknown to most consumers, alcohol or alcohol-based derivatives are also used in some of the ingredients (flavouring) or processes when manufacturing confectionery.  Although there is scope for permissibility for the use of synthetic alcohols, this is an area which needs to be checked and authenticated by qualified Scholars on behalf of Halal confectionery manufacturers.

Finally another area of concern is the actual manufacturing process, the equipment utilised and individuals responsible for the production of the confectionery.  In spite of everything else being checked and approved as being 100% Halal, this is the stage where the Halal Confectionery manufacturing process is least monitored, and if the appropriate inspections are not put in place, then there is a great risk of contamination taking place.

Contamination can take place in several ways, for example, when Halal and non-Halal confectionery is produced in the same factory, but the necessary precautions are not taken when cleaning the production equipment; when non-Halal substitutes are used instead of Halal ingredients, either inadvertently or maliciously by those involved in the production run.  Furthermore, after the confectionery has been produced, there is also a possibility of contamination during the packaging process from equipment which is used to fill the confectionery into bags and tubs etc.

Having highlighted some of these fundamental concerns of the Halal confectionery industry, it becomes evident that there is much effort and co-operation required from all parties involved, to assure that Muslim consumers are offered confectionery which is satisfactory to their Halal dietary requirements.

Within the UK there are several Halal certifying bodies with their respective requirements for Halal classification.  These organisations need to take a pragmatic approach towards attaining a balanced and conclusive certification system which can be relied upon by Muslim consumers, Halal food suppliers and manufacturers, and those involved with abattoirs right down to the farming process.

Due to the broad disparities between some of these Halal certifying bodies, naturally there is much confusion amongst the Muslims themselves, let alone the non-Muslim organisations and individuals who are involved in the Halal confectionery industry.  This results in uncertainty regarding what is permissible or impermissible, which ultimately leads to complacency in meeting the appropriate Shariah requirements.

Another point of contention is the Halal logo which is used widely by various confectionery and food manufacturers.  Due to a lack of standards by which to gauge Halal requirements, the Halal logo has been misused for far too long.  It is about time that the Halal certifying bodies agreed on a standard set of requirements which meet the dietary requirements of Muslim consumers, and along with this, liaise with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to approve one authentic Halal logo.  Thus manufacturers and consumers alike can, with certainty, view the logo as an independent verification of quality and integrity.

For the sceptics of such a proposal, we only need to point out the Kosher certification and logo system that is in effect within the UK.  The Jewish community has enjoyed the benefits of the Kosher logo for many years, even though they have a more stringent authentication process to meet Kosher requirements.

By utilising the correct channels, Halal certification bodies along with the relevant Muslim organisations, need to inform the Muslim consumers of the need to consume proper Halal food and confectionery, to be vigilant in doing so, and the detriment caused by unlawful consumption.  At the same time, the likes of Abattoir personnel, factory operatives, those dealing with the ingredients side of things, distributors and sellers, all need to be educated with the required level of knowledge to fulfil their role in providing the consumer with authentic and reliable Halal confectionery to meet their dietary needs.

It is imperative for the manufacturers to be extremely careful in producing Halal sweets through rigorous checks and the intentions to be clear in benefiting the Muslim community. We as a Muslim community should not allow our desires or our profits to take precedence over the requirement to produce and consume genuine Halal.

Finally, all Brothers and Sisters are urged to educate themselves, their families, friends and colleagues, on this very important issue.  Being complacent when it comes to ensuring the food we are consuming is completely Halal, has risks, which inevitably will affect our spiritual and physical state, and be detrimental for us in this world and the hereafter.

May Allah guide us All and Eid Mubarak.

From A Concerned Muslim

halal.awareness@yahoo.co.uk

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