Dubai, UAE, 07 April, 2010: Arabian Park Hotel has become the first three-star hotel in the Middle East to be 'Menu-Safe' HACCP certified, meaning diners can enjoy an unparalleled level of food safety.
HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) is considered the gold standard in the food industry, and means that a certified organisation has taken strict steps to reduce or eliminate food safety hazards.
"I am absolutely delighted with the news of our HACCP certification - another first for Arabian Park Hotel!" said General Manager, Mark Lee.
"This achievement reinforces our objective of being market leaders within the mid-market hotel segment, not only within the UAE, but also within the Middle East. Our Chef de Cuisine Girish Babu and his team have worked extremely hard and I am very proud of their achievements," added Lee.
"We first started considering HACCP certification during the second half of 2009 and we started to research the most effective way of approaching this project. We met up with the team involved with Menu-Safe soon afterwards realized that working with them would provide us with a very viable option for obtaining certification," said Girish Babu, Chef de Cuisine of Arabian Park Hotel.
Menu-Safe is a revolutionary food safety management system, and is the only international HACCP system that has been categorically proven to work for the hospitality, catering and food service industries.
The management of Arabian Park Hotel worked closely with the Menu-Safe team in order to obtain the HACCP certification, and the entire process took approximately 10 weeks to complete. During this time the kitchen staff carried out the mandatory training and self audits, and made the necessary changes to their working system in the kitchen. The hotel also conducted weekly training sessions with the kitchen team in order to ensure that all staff were fully briefed and prepared in order to ensure a consistent work environment irrespective of who is on duty.
"It was an absolute pleasure working with Arabian Park and their dedicated kitchen team. They were so enthusiastic, and it was reassuring to meet chefs who appreciated that food safety is a totally integrated part of food production, and not a separate issue," remarked Dr. Jeremy Taylor, General Manager of TSI Quality Services, the company behind Menu-Safe in the U.A.E.
The Menu-Safe HACCP audit also ensures that the hotel is compliant with all the necessary food safety measures, and that the kitchen team has been fully trained to ensure they are working within the required standards.
"I am extremely proud and happy that Arabian Park Hotel is the first 3-star hotel in the Middle East to be Menu-Safe HACCP certified," said Babu.
"All of the members of my kitchen team have put in a lot of hard work and training time in order to ensure that we are working within the HACCP approved framework and guidelines. It has also been a very rewarding experience, and the on-site time that the Menu-Safe team spent with us has been instrumental in providing us with the necessary guidance and support required in order successfully implement the HACCP system," he added.
HACCP is a systematic preventive approach to food safety that addresses physical, chemical and biological hazards as a means of prevention rather than finished product inspection. HACCP is used in the food industry to identify potential food safety hazards, so that key actions, known as Critical Control Points (CCP) can be taken to reduce or eliminate the risk of the hazards being realized. The system is used at all stages of food production and preparation processes including packaging and distribution.
-Ends-
About Arabian Park Hotel
Ideally situated, Arabian Park is a short drive to Dubai International Airport, offering quick access to Sheikh Zayed Road and the Dubai Convention Centre, and is only five minutes away from WAFI - Dubai's top retail and entertainment destination.
Arabian Park Hotel is owned and managed by the Wafi Group, and is rated as one of the best 3- star properties in Dubai. Facilities include 318 rooms with a comfortable lounge/library area with wireless internet access on each of the seven floors, a business centre and private meeting rooms on the first floor, and a well-equipped gymnasium and large swimming pool and terrace area located on the ground floor.
A shuttle bus operates on a regular basis between Arabian Park Hotel and Wafi which are separated by just a five minute journey offering easy access to over 200 retail outlets, the luxurious health, leisure and spa facilities at Pyramids and the many award-winning restaurants and bars of Wafi. Each guest receives a WAFI Welcome card offering them preferential prices and discounts in most retail stores, the health, leisure and spa resource centre and at over a dozen award winning restaurants and bars offering a great selection of global cuisine, leisure and entertainment options.
A refreshing addition to Dubai's portfolio of hotels, Arabian Park hotel offers a new standard of comfort and hospitality at an affordable price.
About Menu-Safe
Menu-Safe is a unique GHP and HACCP food safety management system designed specifically for the hospitality, catering and food service industry. The method was developed by world-leading HACCP experts, approved by the EU, acknowledged by Codex and proven to improve food safety in businesses of all sizes.
The system has been recognised at industry, academic and government levels worldwide. Menu-Safe has been registered and approved by the Dubai Municipality and is being delivered to businesses across the United Arab Emirates with training provided locally at the Canadian University of Dubai.
The Menu Safe team in the U.A.E includes Professor Eunice Taylor (PhD) who is Director of International Centre for Food Safety at the Canadian University of Dubai, together with Aurelia Caccamo (Manager for International Centre of Excellence in Food Safety - Canadian University of Dubai) and auditor Dr. Jeremy Taylor BA Med PhD(HACCP) of TSI Quality Services.
For further details, please log onto www.menu-safe.com.
© Press Release 2010
