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Al Semman Farm in the UAE achieves HACCP certification
18 Jun 2009
Topics: Food safety, HACCP, UAE
Al Semman Farm, one of the two quail producers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and member of UAE-based Liberty Investment Company, has achieved HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) certification.
HACCP is a standardized system designed to help guarantee the safety of a food product. It is recognized worldwide and became mandatory in the UAE in 2009. HACCP takes every step of the process into consideration, from feed and water to air quality. To achieve certification to HACCP, one must prove in practice and theory that the product that is being produced will in no way do harm to the people consuming it.
Al Semman Farm, located in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, is the first UAE poultry company to achieve HACCP certification in both poultry farming and processing plant operations. Globally, most poultry farms achieve certification for only the processing plant. This certification, from BSI, acknowledges Al Semman Farm's high level of safety and hygiene standards, and sets the stage for further expansion and exports to Europe.
"Achieving the HACCP for a local quail farm is a major feat because rearing quail in the UAE is a daunting task due high summer temperatures and low humidity in the interior of the country," says James Greig, manager of Al Semman Farm. "With the HACCP, we will be the first poultry company to export a locally produced poultry product from the Abu Dhabi emirate. The Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA), which closely monitors food processing in the emirate, is working with Al Semman Farm to standardize and establish new procedures for the export of quail to other markets."
Expanding into Europe
As per the expansion plans, the current capacity will be doubled following the commissioning of new quail rearing houses. According to Grieg, the focus will be on meeting the local market demands first, before venturing into exports. The first of the exports will be to neighbouring countries, starting with Oman in June. Subsequently, the exports will also target European markets.
Quail is a gourmet food and is in great demand among connoisseurs. Local production is not large enough to meet the demand. Al Semman Farm, which markets its products under two brands - Al Ain Quail and Jumbo Quail - is in great demand among high-end restaurants and hotels as well as individual customers, many of whom travel drive great distances to buy fresh quail direct from the farm in Al Ain.
"Al Semman Farm prides itself on its 100 per cent natural Halal quail - we do not use artificial growth promoters or antibiotics. More significantly, our birds are larger in size, with tastier white meat that is superior to the imported frozen quail available in the market," says Greig.
Quail farming in the UAE began in the early nineties as local demand grew. Greig, a third generation farmer by background and qualification, was involved in the planning and researching behind Al Semman Farm. This followed the keen interest of Sheikh Khalid Bin Abdulaziz Al Qasimi, chairman of the Liberty Group, in venturing into such a business in the UAE. Construction of the facility began in November 2006 and the first eggs were set in Al Semman Farm in August, 2007.
For more information, visit www.bsigroup.ae/en/Assessment-and-Certification-services/Management-systems/Standards-and-Schemes/HACCP/
Photography: Wikimedia Commons. Some conditions apply.
Business Standards © 2010. Editorial produced by Caspian Publishing in association with The British Standards Institution. Editorial opinions expressed on are not necessarily those of BSI Group or Caspian Publishing. Neither Caspian Publishing nor BSI Group accept responsibility for advertising or editorial content, nor for that appearing on linked third-party websites. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden without written permission from BSI Group or Caspian Publishing.
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