HACCP certificate awarded to aswaaq

Certificate awarded after only four months of opening Nad Al Hamar supermarket increases consumers' confidence in the health and food safety measures followed in aswaaq

Dubai, June 28^th 2009:  Aswaaq, an LLC company owned by Dubai Government, has announced that its supermarket in Nad Al Hamar has been awarded the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) certification only after four months of its opening. The supermarket was awarded HACCP for its approach to food safety, food handling, storage, processing and display of food items, and is now recognized as the first supermarket in the GCC to receive the HACCP certification.

To meet the HACCP criteria, aswaaq analyzed all potential hazards, identified critical control points, established preventative measures with critical limits for each control point, established procedures to monitor the critical control points, established corrective actions to be taken when a critical limit was not met, established procedures to verify that the aswaaq system is working properly, established an effective record keeping to document the HACCP system, and trained all employees especially those who are directly handling food items on how to implement HACCP standards in their daily actions.

Commenting on the recent certification, Mr. Abdul Basset Al Janahi, Board Member and CEO of Aswaaq said:

"As part of our commitment to safety and quality control, we are extremely pleased with the news that aswaaq is now HACCP certified.  For the past few months, we have been working at full capacity to obtain the HACCP certificate and to ensure that our safety standards meet worldwide requirements. With the HACCP, we are definite that consumer confidence in aswaaq will increase, and we are looking forward to create a more pleasant shopping experience for our customers.

"We have engaged various segments from the society in the different activities and training and servicing projects that revolve around food safety control, as we are confident that such a critical issue is a responsibility handled by all society members from organizations to individuals," added Al Janahi. "Following the recent food poisoning incidents, we would like to reassure our customers that health and safety is our number one priority at aswaaq. Our strongest belief is that human's safety and health are priceless! "

To ensure that aswaaq was HACCP certified in the shortest possible time, aswaaq audited all supplier facilities, gave system awareness and Safety & Quality training programs to its employees and conducted internal audits and system reviews. Officials at aswaaq have revealed that in line with other management systems, such as the ISO22000 food safety management system, aswaaq's new strategy will further generate a food safety culture by identifying, evaluating and controlling hazards that are essential for food safety.

"To date, we are pleased to announce that all our members of staff have a thorough understanding of food safety. With a HACCP manual and a HACCP analysis tool, we are now able to describe all food production processes as well as identifying potential areas of risk in the production chain. These are now being monitored on a regular basis to guarantee a high level of health and safety, said Ms. Ebtesam Al Khaja, Food Hygiene Manager at aswaaq.''

"By implementing HACCP techniques and standards and documenting our procedures, it is now easier for the control authorities to monitor our day to day health and safety measures," added Al Khaja.

The HACCP certification at aswaaq was conducted in accordance with the TUV NORD CERT auditing and certification procedures.  In order to maintain HACCP certification, aswaaq will continue to comply with HACCP rules and regulations, identifying and preventing hazards from contaminating food and keeping records over a specified period of time.

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About Aswaaq
"aswaaq" is an LLC company owned by Dubai government. The "aswaaq" project is a new, innovative concept in the world of shopping and retail, based on small, medium and large-sized shopping centres strategically located at the heart of residential areas. These centres will have lively "aswaaq" supermarkets at their heart complemented by retail shops and will soon become available in all bustling and populated areas of the UAE, providing a wide range of products that meet the requirements of all shoppers regardless of their nationality or age.

The "aswaaq" shopping experience is uniquely defined by the high-quality tailor-made assortments and fresh products offered at fair prices with friendly, consistent and efficient customer service. "aswaaq" is particularly proud of the values upon which it bases its practices, respecting its clientele's freedom of choice, focusing on applying the best international practices, not to mention contributing to the pioneering task of institutions supporting medium-sized and small projects in the UAE. By becoming a major source of products, goods and services, "aswaaq" will play a vital role in local neighbourhoods; providing investment opportunities for UAE entrepreneurs, as well as creating job prospects. Moreover, it will also provide UAE nationals with the opportunity to become major importers and suppliers.

"aswaaq" will also give back to society by setting aside a certain percentage of the net profit for social and community services.

For further information, please contact:
Hind Al Falasi
Relations Manager - aswaaq
Direct: +971 4 4234030
Email: hind.alfalasi@aswaaq.ae

Maan Dalghan
PR Account Manager
O2 Public Relations
Mobile: +971 0504735351   
Phone: +971 43122777 
Fax: +971 43122788
Email: maan.d@o2pr.net

© Press Release 2009