01 April 2012

Company sponsors symposium on 'Goodness of Dairy'

FrieslandCampina Middle East, part of Royal FrieslandCampina - the largest dairy-cooperative in the world and world famous for Rainbow Milk Brand, today announced its support to the initiatives of the UAE Ministry of Health to boost the consumption of milk.

The company reinforced its support at the Ministry of Health Symposium which focused on 'Goodness of Dairy' held today in Sharjah. The symposium was held to commemorate the World Milk Day.

The one-day symposium, organized by Sharjah Medical District - Nutrition & Continuous Medical Education [CME] Department - at Radisson Blu Hotel in Sharjah, re-emphasized the goodness of consumption of milk and dairy products, highlighting its importance in the diet and growth.

FrieslandCampina Middle East support to the symposium is a major step in its commitment to collaborate closely with UAE government entities in highlighting the important cause. The symposium offered a unique opportunity for consumers to learn about the latest research and findings on the health benefits of consuming milk from some of top experts.

Among those who spoke at the symposium included H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Saqr Al Qassimi, Assistant Undersecretary and Director of Sharjah Medical District, Ms. Maysoon  Al Shaer, Deputy Director of Health Education and Promotions at Ministry of Health, Jan M. Steijns, Corporate Nutrition Scientist, Royal FrieslandCampina, Suzan Horst, Director Quality Affairs, Royal FrieslandCampina, and a welcome speech by Maurits Klavert, Managing Director, FrieslandCampina Middle East.

In his comments on the symposium, Maurits Klavert, Managing Director at FrieslandCampina Middle East, said: "The Goodness of Dairy Symposium was a stimulating experience, combining a review of the most up-to-date research on the health benefits of consuming milk. The forum offered insights into the various consumer promotions, campaigns and initiatives undertaken by the Ministry to encourage people to consume milk and dairy products in the UAE."

The symposium highlighted the microbiological functions within milk that offers protection and the role of bacterial fauna in supporting healthy digestive and immune processes with experts.

At the symposium, Ms. Maysoon Al Shaer spoke on the influence of milk protein on children growth and allergy treatment, Dr. Jan M. Steijns shed light on the goodness of dairy and consumption effects of weight. Later on, Ms. Najla El Mualla, Head of Food Laboratory Section at Sharjah Municipality, spoke on the challenges in the milk industry and Dr. Munir Hamad, Medical Specialist at Health Department at Dubai Municipality, talked on Milk and Human Health.

"As a leading name in the milk sector, FrieslandCampina Middle East has taken the responsibility to spread awareness on this vital subject and share the goodness of milk with consumers in the GCC. We are privileged to work closely with the government authorities in this cause; as we look forward to unveil an educational campaign on the goodness of milk," added Maurits Klavert, Managing Director, FrieslandCampina Middle East.

As a dairy brand, Rainbow Milk has been present in this region for 56 years. Today, the company boasts of a wide array of world-class products across the Middle East. The Rainbow milk products are UHT treated, allowing them to stay fresh for up to nine months after packing.

-Ends-

About FrieslandCampina Middle East
FrieslandCampina Middle East operates in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and Kuwait. The company's well-known brand, Rainbow, has been a key player in the dairy industry. Launched in 1955, Rainbow offers high quality and practical dairy products. Packed in a tin, Rainbow milk does not need refrigeration, and convenient to use and store as there was no breakage. This was an instant success bearing in mind the arid, hot climate of the Middle East. The rich, creamy taste and consistency of Rainbow evaporated milk has made it popular for use in tea and coffee, direct consumption, cooking and for making desserts. 

Over the last 50 years, Rainbow has diversified its product offering to match the lifestyle needs of the region's consumers. This includes the popular evaporated milk, in two delicious variants - Original and Cardamom and in two variants for those seeking specific health benefits - Light and Cholesterol free. In its factory in Jeddah, the company produces Long Life Liquid Milk in Full Cream and Low Fat forms and in 4 delicious flavors for kids. Rainbow also has Instant Milk Powder and Sweetened Condensed Milk. The company is the regional subsidiary of Royal FrieslandCampina N.V. which is the largest dairy-cooperative in the world.

Issued by Landmark PR & Event Management
For press information contact:
Shadi Abou Assi                                                                                    
Media Relations Manager
Tel.: +971 4 3912547                                        
Email: s.abouassi@landmark-pr.com        

Khaled Abou Hichme
Account Director         
Tel.:+971 4 3912144
Email: k.abouhichme@landmark-pr.com

© Press Release 2012