Filipino brand of halal sausages hits Doha


Asian brand of halal sausages hits Doha

Web posted at: 2/18/2009 6:44:44

Source ::: The Peninsula/ by Raynald Rivera


Doha:
The first-ever Asian brand of halal sausages is now in Doha and has
been well received by consumers, Imelda Madarang, RFM Vice President
for exports told The Peninsula yesterday. Qatar is the first country in
which RFM, a food and beverage firm based in the Philippines, has
exported halal sausages.

“Among the Middle Eastern countries, Qatar was
the first country to have imported our products end of December and so
far the response especially from Filipino consumers is encouraging,”
Madarang revealed.


Madarang
is heading the delegation presently here in Doha to conduct meetings
with retail outlets and hypermarkets interested in the distribution of
the products. RFM products currently sold in some retail outlets here
are Swift sausages, which come in different chicken and beef varieties
well-liked by Filipinos.


“Just
yesterday, all the supplies were sold out and the outlets have already
reordered,” Madarang said. They are also completing necessary
arrangements with the Doha Municipality to finally achieve a wider
consumer reach. Madarang said that one of their goals is to nationalise
the product to cover more consumers, not only Filipinos.

Madarang
expressed optimistic outlook on the Qatari market. “The Middle East is
the region least affected by the global financial crisis. Even the
President of the Philippines when she visited Qatar was upbeat of
different opportunities here,” Madarang said, praising the vibrancy of
Qatar’s economy. “I have observed huge development in Qatar since I
came here five years ago,” she said, adding she heard of people
migrating from Dubai to Doha putting confidence on the strength of the
country’s economy.

Located in Laguna, Philippines, the recently
certified halal processing plant of RFM is the first in the
Philippines, paving the way for the supply of RFM’s Swift meat products
to the Muslim consumer market, estimated at over 1.9 billion around the
world.


Halal
is an Arabic term meaning ‘permissible’. In food, it means products
that do not contain any prohibited substance, and have been prepared
and processed in accordance with strict standards for purity, nutrition
and quality. Animals and birds should be slaughtered in the name of
Allah. the peninsula