ISO accentuates Widam Food's impeccable and unrivalled approach to quality and safety in line with world-class standards

Certificates highlight Widam Food as the optimum and most competent organization at developing, enhancing and managing food systems such as slaughterhouses and abattoirs

Achievement culminates the solid efforts of Widam Food team which came on board in 2010

Doha, 14 April 2013

Widam Food, Qatar's foremost meat provider, was recently recognized as the flag-bearer of quality by the International Organisation for Standardization, ISO. Velosi Quality Management International delivered both the ISO 22000:2005 for Food Safety Management System and the ISO 9001:2008 for Quality Management System, both in the sector of meat processing and livestock trading. The ISO certificates strongly attest to Widam Food's unmatched quality and safety best practices and the company's capacity in developing, leading and managing world-class food systems such as slaughterhouses, abattoirs and manufacturing units.

HE Sheikh Nayef Bin Eid Al Thani, Chairman of Widam Food: "We would like to thank the executive management for its significant contribution to the winning of the ISO accreditations. This is undoubtedly Widam Food's most illustrious milestone since 2009. The ISO is the world's testament to an organization's unparalleled performance and delivery of quality across the board and the certificates we just received culminate our 3 years of steadfast commitment, hard work and effort into seeing a first-class slaughterhouse in the country that abides by the strictest quality and food safety measures. In other words, our experience and expertise in the industry is unrivalled."

Over the past three years, Widam Food built and strengthened key partnerships with internally recognized industry players especially from Australia, importing thus the finest livestock and meat products to Qatar. Animal welfare and care ranked high on the company's agenda making Qatar on par with the world's leading countries on this front such as Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, and Holland.

Widam Food is now gearing up to launch its completely refurbished slaughterhouse located in Abu Hammour, a task that normally takes years to accomplish and which Widam Food's team has managed to complete in record time. The facility includes equipment and systems which are patented to some of Widam Food's management personnel, hence, underlining the company's pioneering role and its innovation in quality technology.

The ISO 9001:2008 sets out the criteria for a total quality management. It is implemented by over one million companies and organizations in over 170 countries. The standard is based on a number of quality management principles including a strong customer focus, the motivation and implication of top management, the process approach and continual improvement. Using ISO 9001:2008 helps ensure that customers get consistent, good quality products and services. Checking that the system works is a vital part of ISO 9001:2008. An organization must perform thorough internal audits to check how its quality management system is working.

The ISO 22000:2005 specifies requirements for a food safety management system where an organisation in the food chain needs to demonstrate its ability to control food safety hazards in order to ensure that food is safe at the time of human consumption. The certificate specifies requirements to enable an organisation to plan, implement, operate, maintain and update a food safety management system aimed at providing products that are safe for the consumer; to demonstrate compliance with applicable regulatory food safety measures; to evaluate and assess customer requirements and demonstrate conformity with customers' needs for food safety in order to enhance customer satisfaction; to effectively communicate food safety issues to their suppliers, customers and any other relevant parties in the food chain; to ensure that the organization confirms to its stated food safety policy; to demonstrate such conformity to stakeholders; and to see certification or registration of its food safety management system by an external organisation.

Widam Food was recently recognized with an international quality award in Geneva. The company received the award by BID (Business Initiative Directions) for the Platinum Category of Century International Quality Era.

Earlier in 2012, Widam was also recognized at the 16th International Star for Quality in Leadership Convention in France adding another accolade to four other recognitions from MLA Australia for Quality Management, and attesting to the company's business success and solid contribution to the local and regional food industry by being the "guardian" of food safety and public health.

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About Widam
Listed on the Qatar Exchange, Widam (previously known as Qatar Company for Meat & Livestock or Mawashi) was founded in 2004 with the aim of meeting Qatar's market needs in meat and livestock. Widam is engaged in the trading in livestock, meat, animal feeds, meat derivatives in addition to management of slaughterhouses.

Widam transports livestock, fodder, and meat products to facilitate trade; manages the automatic and national slaughterhouses; owns a branch in Sudan for the trade of meat and animal feeds; and uses the latest technology in processing its products according to international standards and specifications. Widam's key pillars are freshness, quality and door-to-door delivery.

Widam registered continued y-o-y growth with net profits reaching QAR 41,705,576 during the first half of 2012 turning the company into one of the largest companies of its kind in Qatar and the region.

Widam was recognized at the 16th International Star for Quality in Leadership Convention in France in June 2012 adding another accolade to four recognitions from MLA Australia for Quality Management, and attesting to the company's business success and solid contribution to the local and regional food industry by being the "guardian" of food safety and public health.

Widam is looking to tap into the industries of fish and poultry as part of its long-term plan to play a key role in the country's food security objectives.

For more information, please contact:
Hala Kassab
Kamal Nasrallah
Aileen Andojar
ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller, Qatar
T: +974 4423 922
hala.kassab@bm.com/ kamal.nasrallah@bm.com/ aileen.andojar@bm.com

© Press Release 2013