Best fresh chicken meat

Al Rawdah is the trusted name for fresh protein products with excellent crafting

It's not an easy task to maintain a delicate balance between hygiene and quality when it comes to fresh food products. But Emirates National Food Co LLC, also known as Al Rawdah, part of Emirates Rawabi Group, does that with perfection and is acknowledged under international standards.

Al Rawdah is UAE's largest producer of 100 per cent natural-fed fresh chicken and its high-quality processed meat products are second to none. The company distinguishes in producing fresh meat, and all ingredients are natural to the core. No steroids or antibiotics are used in the process to synergise chickens for vested commercial reasons. This is an exception of sorts in an era when genetically modified food products are all around; whereby health perquisites are largely compromised.

Jeanette Kristensen Alhaider, General Manager, is the driving force behind the success story of Emirates National Food. Her articulate mindset and passion to strive for the best have churned out wonders. It is no small feat that Al Rawdah has become a household name for quality fresh chicken, including eggs, frozen and chilled products.

The Danish entrepreneur holding an MBA, knows the inside out of communication and administration too. She has a kind heart and cares for her employees. Drawing from her immense experience in Danish retail chains, Jeanette has worked tirelessly in the UAE and made inroads in the fresh food industry.

"We produce 800 tonnes of processed meat per month, and have an average slaughter of 45,000 chickens daily," she said. Similarly, sausages and related products' demand has grown in the last few years, and Al Rawdah's local produce enjoys an edge over foreign imported products.

"People value our fresh farmed products as we are the first to produce processed products made from fresh chicken meat in the UAE. The point is that we don't compromise on quality," she added.

While sharing her UAE success story, Jeanette says that she tapped the Middle East market in 2008, since then there is no looking back. "Dealing with farmers was a new experience; and I drew lessons from the Scandinavian industry too. I started taking small steps in the fresh sector and, with the passage of time, explored different dimensions, and then moved into manufacturing," she elucidated.

Al Rawdah chickens are only eight hours from slaughtering to the supermarket. This is so because the company cares for the brand and its passion is fresh meat. It also deals in chilled processed meat, frozen processed meat, vegetables and confectionery.

The general manager is very keen on fresh food and food security. "In UAE we are very fortunate to be self-sufficient in fresh chicken, so when we import large quantities from countries with less cost of production, it is stopping the innovation and growth motivation for the local industry. Healthy competition is good, but there has to be a balance for keeping the local farmers motivated to continue excelling in the industry," she pointed out.

"We do not use antibiotics or hormones on our birds in the UAE. This is why we produce healthy fresh meat products.  We offer ourselves to constant surveillance and we have no problem with this, as quality is our motto."

Al Rawdah is the first poultry farm to be certified Halal by Emirates Authority for Standardization & Metrology (ESMA) in 2015. It is also a recipient of numerous accreditations for its high-quality protein products.

While priding over the state-of-the-art farming in the UAE, Jeanette says the company is focussing on Oman and Qatar as its next destinations. Promoting food safety with minimum environmental impact is Al Rawdah's excellence.

Jeanette says though she doesn't come from a farmer background, she believes in breeding the best chicken to keep people in business. "I believe in educating people and empowering them. We have to be very quick in decision-making. We need to change, and change is not bad, per se. But we need to uphold our legacy and quality." This means there is no compromise on quality.

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