Dubai November 29, 2008: MasafiMasafi announced its entry into the gourmet food business. The launch of Masafi Gourmet - the company's food division - is a pivotal step towards the group's objective to provide a premium comprehensive food and beverage portfolio and become a complete FMCG company by 2011 in a sustainable manner.

Masafi Gourmet marks its foray into the gourmet food business with the launch of premium and healthier potato chips. The company has earmarked AED 10 million in 2008 towards the development, manufacturing and promotion of the gourmet potato chips.

Masafi Gourmet potato chips come in three flavours - sea salt, sweet chilly and "four cheese", are 100 per cent natural and free of additives. The chips have 65 per cent less saturated fat content compared to other chips available in the market and epitomize the company's brand values - purity, quality and health.

In his comments, Mr Ashraf Abushady, Chief Executive Officer of MasafiMasafi, said: "The launch of our potato chips marks our entry into the gourmet food business, which is integral to our broad vision of becoming a complete FMCG company. Masafi Gourmet continues our core philosophy to provide premium and quality products to our consumers. The new premium potato chips are 100 per cent Halal and espouse the MasafiMasafi brand values that we as a company passionately believe and embrace."

He added: "We have committed AED 10 million towards the manufacturing facility for the chips. The ingredients as well as the processes used for the manufacturing facility are distinct from the current options available in the market. It is a major step in our growth strategy, considering that the potato chips category is witnessing a 34 per cent year-on-year growth."

Masafi Gourmet potato chips are fried in High Oleic Sunflower oil - the premium reference in oils which have the lowest levels of saturated fat content among all oils (25 per cent of that of normal oils) and the highest mono saturates (approximately double of any other oil). While normal oils have approximately 17 grams of saturates per 10 grams, the High Oleic oil has only 3 grams.

The Masafi Gourmet potato chips undergo a unique and innovative de-fatting process through TAP (Thermal Air Process) to remove the excess oil. Due to this processes, Masafi Gourmet chips are deliciously dry, less oily, crunchy and healthier. "Once the chips are packed, all the oxygen is flushed out and replaced with nitrogen and then vacuum sealed in order to preserve the freshness and crunchiness of each potato chip," said Rami Benjamin, Brand Development Manager at the MasafiMasafi Co, Dubai.

The company is supporting the new product launch with an integrated marketing and advertising campaign.

Since its inception three decades back, MasafiMasafi has always espoused a mission to make life better and more convenient for its consumers in a sustainable manner. After becoming the generic name for bottled mineral water across Gulf and Middle East, the company has taken the natural evolution process and ventured into sectors such as MasafiMasafi tissues, juices as well as the unique 4x Gallon Masafi Mineral Water. Further they have recently joined the UN Global Compact and have launched the Carbon Action Plan in July 2008 to significantly reduce the impact of their business on the UAE Environment.

-Ends-

About MasafiMasafi:
MasafiMasafi, the leading producer of pure natural mineral water in the entire Gulf, was established in 1976 with a paid-up capital of approximately $5.5 million. The company has retained its market leadership for the past three decades by providing world-class products which are renowned for their pure natural freshness. This has seen MasafiMasafi become the premium reference for bottled mineral water in the entire region. In the process it has built an extremely strong distribution network to consistently deliver to dynamic market requirements and has continuously upgraded its first-class equipment to keep pace with technological advances around the globe.

Being a leading brand that delivers to consumer needs, MasafiMasafi's wide product portfolio includes mineral water, tissues, MasafiMasafi Juices and the newly-launched MasafiMasafi Flavored Water. The mineral water product line comes in bottles of 1.5 litres, 1 litre, 500ml, 330ml (regular and sports) 4 gallon bottles, 330ml kids packaging (regular and sports); mineral water cups in sizes of 250ml, 200ml, and 125ml. The 4-gallon bottles are 100 per cent recyclable and only for one-time-use. The tissue line includes boutique fragrant tissues in three scents, floral tissues in purple, pink and green colors, car tissue boxes and recently launched its new boutique tissues -- Sense of Spring. MasafiMasafi leads the UAE market in Brand Equity Index in the tissue line and enjoys the number one share of heart across the UAE. The hugely popular MasafiMasafi Juices come in an array of original flavors and rich blends available in 2 litre, 1 litre and 200ml bottles. The flavored water is available in five flavors -- strawberry, lemon, peach, jasmine and mint & lemon in 500ml sizes.

The company was the first recipient of the ISO 9002 certification in the entire Middle East and was awarded the ISO 9001:2000 certification for developing and maintaining a high standard Quality Management System. MasafiMasafi has also been awarded the HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) certification. MasafiMasafi is also a member of International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) and Asia Bottled Water Association (ABWA). MasafiMasafi Water is tested and approved by NSF International, USA, which carries out annual unprompted audits on behalf of IBWA. MasafiMasafi is the first mineral water company in the region to be awarded the prestigious ISO 14001 certification for Environmental Management.

For further information, please contact
Ghada Kammoun/ Naeem Badiuzzaman,
BPG Public Relations,
Dubai
Tel: +9714-295 3456;
Fax: +9714-295 1027
E-mail: gkammoun@batespangulf.com/naeem@batespangulf.com

© Press Release 2008 from Bates PanGulf Group

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