By Nate C. Barretto
Purefoods-Hormel Company, Inc. is getting ready to conquer a new market abroad, particularly in the Middle East, after recently gaining international halal certification for its food manufacturing facility in the Philippines.
The company, popular for its brands Tender Juicy Chicken Franks and Purefoods Corned Beef, was awarded its halal certification by Prime Group, a leading quality and compliance solutions provider in Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa.
Prime Group, which is based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), collaborated with Purefoods-Hormel to have its facility devoted to halal products certified in a bid to address the growing Muslim market not just here but abroad.
“Under its business entity, Prime Certification & Inspection, a series of assessments on a facility of Purefoods-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,” a statement released by Prime Group on Monday, August 19, said.
There has been a surge in halal food revenues in recent years, prompting leading market players to secure halal certification and obtain access to a wider consumer base, Prime Group said.
It cited a study by Polaris Market Research which showed that the halal food market is expected to grow exponentially in the years to come, projecting a growth valued at $922.53 billion by 2026.
Thus, Prime Group’s provision of halal certification to a facility of Purefoods-Hormel is instrumental in driving growth for the international business of the Philippines’ leading F&B company.
The Polaris study revealed that this growth in patronage for halal food can be attributed to an increasing Muslim population worldwide and heightened demand even from non-Muslim consumers who are becoming more aware of the nutritional benefits of halal-certified products.
“Consumers today are now demonstrating a shift in eating and shopping habits. There is now increased consumer awareness about the nutritional benefits of halal certified food products,” Prime Group Chairman Salah Ameen said.
For her part, Prime Group CEO Mary Jane Alvero-Al Mahdi said: “Prime Group understands the growing demand for halal certified food and beverages. More people have expressed 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 recognized standards.”
This why the partnership between Prime Group and Purefoods-Hormel is seen to lead the way for the Philippine F&B industry to be at the forefront of the upcoming changes in the global market. “We welcome the alliance with Purefoods Hormel, demonstrating Prime Group’s commitment to support various international brands’ foray into the UAE, the Gulf region and beyond,” Alver-Al Mahdi said.
The Prime Group CEO explained that the certification awarded to the Philippine company will allow Purefoods’ halal-certified products to enter the UAE, the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, and other international markets.
“We are delighted to support Purefoods-Hormel by conducting the necessary inspections, assessments and halal certification to enable them to export their highly loved Philippine products to a wider audience in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and its neighboring countries,” said Ameen.
In a statement sent through EON Group PR, Raul Nazareno, representing the management of Purefoods-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- 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, which are easily within their reach. We would like to thank Prime Group for allowing us to take a step further in this endeavor.”
It was learned that under the Purefoods-Prime partnership, more products in the company’s diverse food portfolio are also expected to be available soon in the Middle Eastonce they are found to be in compliance with the certification requirements.
