Ghanim on track for 2010 release of halal goods

by Debbie Too

The Brunei Halal brand is on target with its brand develoment schedule including the review of about 50 products for release by April next year, said Noel Shield, interim chief executive officer of Ghanim International Food Corporation Sdn Bhd.

“What we are doing is that we set ourselves certain timelines when
we started the company and those timelines include the setting up of
the company, putting the finances in place and the administration
system in place,” Shield said in an interview with The Brunei Times
yesterday.

Ghanim International is the Brunei company that handles and manages
the marketing of the Sultanate’s premium halal brand which takes
advantage of the country’s reputation in selling goods to growing
Muslim markets.

The company is communicating with global retailers and distributors
in several countries and already has a list of product categories.

“We are now going through the process of getting the religious
accreditation and some of the companies (that will be represented by
the Brunei Halal brand) have already got the commercial compliance and
accreditations,” said Shield. “So we’re on target in everything we’re
doing so far as the development side goes.”

The brand is in the process of accrediting 70 SKUs or stock keeping
units individual products that will be represented by the brand, said
Shield. “Say for example you’ve got potato chips, and the different
flavours of potato chips represent one SKU under one category,” he
explained.

Ghanim is on track to release the range of products under the brand by April 2010, he said.

“The aim is to have somewhere like 50 products, that’s why it’s
taking a long time. There is currently 50 products under review process
for religious accreditations, and that’s only from a few manufacturers.
Once I’ve got those done, I will probably add another 60 products on
top of that,” he told The Brunei Times.

“What we’re working on at the moment is all processed food, however,
I still want to get some value added meal solutions to the whole range.
What I’d like to see, but I haven’t put together yet is a high-grade
quality pizza,” he said. “We won’t be looking at niche products just
yet, because being a niche product, your sales aren’t going to be
extremely high (right at the start).”