Abu Dhabi, April 13, 2010: Al Ain Dairy—the first established dairy in UAE and a leading producer of dairy products—has expanded its quality control system at local farms and processing plant through the establishment of two new technologies; a Food Lab System and Somatic Cell Counter.  The voluntary testing equipment, which is adopted to ensure that all the company’s dairy products meet international quality standards in accordance with the company’s recent ISO certification.

According to Mr. Abdullah Saif Al Darmaki, CEO of Al Ain Dairy, the continued growth of the UAE dairy industry will depend on the ability of large-scale producers to maintain international health standards as operations become more complex and geographically fragmented.  “We have forecasted considerable business expansion during 2010,” says Al Darmaki, “and we want to do everything we can to ensure that health remains the top priority throughout the production process.” 

The first of the new additions—a Food Lab System—will perform chemical testing of raw and pasteurized milk received from all Al Ain Dairy farms; the first of its kind system to be used by dairy firms in the UAE. Used to detect chemical residues such as Ammonia, Hydrogen Peroxide, Uxea and Chlorides, the system will guarantee that the milk received is of safe quality without any adulteration or chemical contamination.   

The farms’ supplied raw milk must also go through additional screening procedures at the laboratory, using a Swedish-made Somatic Cell Counter.   Somatic cells are white blood cells secreted by the cow and are one of the key indicators of whether raw milk is suitable for refinement.  While this screening is a common test at dairy farms, few companies also implement the practice at their processing facilities.

The establishment of these two health systems follows the award of ISO certification to Al Ain Farms in November 2009 for planning, implementing, and maintaining a Food Safety Management System to work across the company’s operations.  Al Darmaki says that such recognitions are an important means of encouraging local companies to elevate their production standards to worldwide calibres.  

The ceremony began with a speech from Mr. Al Suwaidi who talked about Al Ain Farms’ continuous efforts to meet international standards and the importance of the award in strengthening the position of Al Ain Farms in UAE and the region.

“Receiving the ISO Certificate is a true testament to the company’s continuous efforts to provide its customers with the best quality products which meet the highest national and international standards,” commented Mr. Al Suwaidi.  “We are confident that with the improvement of our product lines and the introduction of new technologies, we will be able to set the standards for the industry in UAE and the region.”
 
“In the last year, the market has definitely placed a greater emphasis on health and safety”, added Mr. Al Suwaidi. “As customers put more effort into determining the value of their consumer choices, we want them to know that Al Ain Farms will never compromise on the quality of their products.  Throughout all aspects of our operations, we’ve worked to achieve complete quality management by investing in our equipment, our farm herd, and most importantly in our employees. We are and will always be committed to inspiring the highest levels of consumer confidence in our products and services.”

In order to secure the ISO certificate, Al Ain Farms had to pass various tests and examinations.  This included planning, implementing, and maintaining a Food Safety Management System to work across the company’s operations.  Al Ain Farms also had to demonstrate compliance with all applicable statutory and regulatory food-safety requirements in the UAE.  This involved assessing customer requirements and effectively communicating food-safety issues to Al Ain Farms suppliers, customers and relevant interested parties.

In addition to the ISO certification, Al Ain Farms was also recently eligible for the PAS 220 Food Safety Certificate, which endorses the proactive development of pre-requisite programmes on food manufacturing safety.

Mr. Abdullah Saif Al Darmaki, CEO of Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production

Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production, the first established dairy farm in the UAE and a leading dairy producer in the region, has achieved a remarkable record in the local dairy farming industry being the first to produce over 30 million litres of milk per year. This achievement was attributed to the dedicated management support and the modern cattle farming systems they utilize, among other factors.

Al Ain Farms became a pioneer in milk production industry having set this record by succeeding to produce 10,000 litres of milk from each cow per year. The farm has 3,000 milking cows and 2,500 young stocks which came from the best cattle genetics.

“Dedicated staff, professional dairy farming consultants, modern farming systems and a balance cattle ration and feeding were some of the factors behind setting this record in milk production nationwide,” said Mr. Abdullah Saif Al Darmaki, CEO of Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production.

Mr. Al Darmaki pointed out the company’s success in providing their customers with the best quality products which meet the highest local and international standards. He noted that the farm is using some of the most advanced dairy production equipment that could deal with this large number of milky cows. The available cattle were selected from the best breeds that are periodically examined and checked to ensure their good hygienic conditions in order to be able to produce high quality milk, Al Darmaki added.

“We are very keen to develop our working systems by adopting modern technologies and improving the production lines to produce the best dairy products that ensure safety for the public health. Setting this remarkable record in milk production urges us to be more committed and responsible to keep up this average of high quality production,” concluded Mr. Al Darmaki.

Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production has been recently awarded the ISO 22000 Certificate as an appreciation to the company’s continuous efforts to provide its customers with the best quality dairy products, along with utilizing new technologies and being committed to the highest standards of health and safety.

Further information about Al Ain Dairy can be found at www.alaindairyuae.com.

-END-

About Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production:

Established in the UAE in 1981, Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production is considered today a pioneer in the UAE’s dairy farm industry. Having heavily invested in its production phases and owning three cow farms, one camel farm and one poultry farm, the company has developed its technological and medical approach to guarantee top quality 100% healthy dairy products.  Worldwide technology including high speed packaging machines, accurate bacteria testing machines and well equipped labs, has been a key factor in positioning Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production as a first choice for customers in the competitive market. Throughout all aspects of its operations, Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production strives for total excellence and quality management in manufacturing the highest quality local dairy products. From gaining HACCP certification in recognition of meeting the highest international standards of product hygiene and safety, to implementing a comprehensive corporate social responsibility program, Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production is committed to inspiring the highest levels of consumer confidence in its products and services.

For further information, please contact

Maan Dalghan

PR Account Manager

O2 Public Relations

Mobile: +971 050-4735351

Phone: +971 43122777

Fax: +971 43122788

Email: maan.d@o2pr.net

Al Ain Dairy, the first established dairy farm in the UAE and a leading producer of dairy products, has increased its juices product line by introducing two new juice flavours, guava and pineapple, to complement its existing range of six fruit juice products.  The new flavours are now in stores throughout the UAE and are offered in different packaging sizes.   The juices are made from fresh juice concentrate with no added preservatives or sugars.  The guava flavour is produced from fruits grown in Egypt while the pineapple comes from fruits harvested in Thailand.

Already controlling a significant amount of the fresh juice market, Al Ain Dairy says that the motivation for the expanded product line is a result of positive growth throughout the year. In Q1 of 2009 for example, the company saw an 18% increase in sales compared to the same period in 2008.  By January 2010, the company expects to have increased its total output by 23% compared to the same period in 2009. According to Al Ain Dairy research, juice sales in the UAE have already increased by 20% in the current quarter and are expected to rise by another 15% by the start of 2010.

Commenting on the introduction of the new flavours, Abdullah Saif Saeed Al Darmaki, CEO of Al Ain Dairy said:

“Growing our consumer base has been an important goal for us in 2009, especially given our quarter to quarter profits.  With increasing demand in the market, we wanted to reinvest a significant portion of our profits in expanding our product lines and raising our production capacity.  So far we are happy with the results.”

Earlier in 2009, Al Ain Dairy expanded its production capacity by purchasing new machinery worth an estimated AED 4 million; a move that increased Al Ain Dairy’s production of fermented milk products by 40%.   The company also installed a High Efficiency Particulate Air Filter (HEPA) to filter the facility’s air and ensure a sterile working environment.  According to one company report, better efficiencies and cost saving plans during 2009 also encouraged the growth of gross operating profits by almost 23%.

Further information about Al Ain Dairy can be found at www.alaindairyuae.com.

-END-

About Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production:

Established in the UAE in 1981, Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production is considered today as the pioneer in the UAE’s dairy farm industry. Having heavily invested in its production phases and owning three cow farms, one camel farm and one poultry farm, the company has developed its technological and medical approach to guarantee top quality 100% healthy dairy products.  Worldwide technology including high speed packaging machines, accurate bacteria testing machines and well equipped labs, has been a key factor in positioning Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production as a first choice for customers in the competitive market. Throughout all aspects of its operations, Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production strives for total excellence and quality management in manufacturing the highest quality local dairy products. From gaining HACCP certification in recognition of meeting the highest international standards of product hygiene and safety, to implementing a comprehensive corporate social responsibility program, Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production is committed to inspiring the highest levels of consumer confidence in its products and services.

For further information, please contact

Shatha Al Khatib

O2 Public Relations

Mobile: +971 050-2908921

Phone: +971 43122777

Fax: +971 43122788

Email: Shatha.k@o2pr.net

Eng. Abdullah Saif Saeed Al Darmaki CEO, Al Ain Dairy

Al Ain Dairy, the first established dairy farm in the UAE and a leading producer of dairy products, has purchased two new systems; a primodan rot-o min cups filling machine and a filmatic rotary bottle filling machine. The two new systems, valued at AED 4 million will play a key role in increasing Al Ain Dairy’s capacity and meet growing demand for its dairy and non-dairy products.

Whereas the first machine, Primodan rot-o-min cups filling machine, will fill stirred fruit yoghurts, crème caramel, custards and fruit desserts into cups, the second machine, filmatic rotary bottle filling machine will fill bottles with fresh milk and juices. With higher operational speeds, these new systems will ensure that more bottles are filled, thus increasing the amount of products and quantity that Al Ain Dairy can produce on a daily basis. With the installation of the Rot-O-Min Primodan cup filling machine, Al Ain Dairy’s production of fermented milk products has increased by 40% and now fills over 8,000 cups an hour.

“Prior to installing the new machines, we were not able to fulfill our sales and marketing requirements as the capacity was not enough to produce the allocated quantity. As a result we were simply not producing enough to cater to the full market demand,” said Abdullah Saif Saeed Al Darmaki, CEO of Al Ain Dairy.

“To ensure that the quality of our fermented and non-fermented products meets all health and safety requirements, the new machines are equipped with UV fluorescent tubes which kill any bacteria present on the lid,” added Abdullah Saif Saeed Al Darmaki.

Al Ain Dairy’s second new machine, the filmatic rotary bottle filling machine, that fills bottles with fresh milk and juices, is valued at AED 2.12 million. With higher operational speeds it can fill more sizes; like 200ml, 250ml, 500ml, and 1000ml. The new machine fills approximately 200 bottles a minute, 12000 bottles an hour. It also has a High Efficiency Particulate Air Filter (HEPA) which filters the air and blows sterile air. By creating a sterile environment this prevents any of the products from contamination. In addition, the filmatic rotary bottle filling machine has an air flusher that removes physical contaminants on bottles. By blowing air into the bottles as they pass through the Inverter for filling, the air flusher removes any dust or dirt.

“The Filmatic bottle filling machine has enabled us to increase our capacity of milk and fruit juices from 150,000 liters a day to 190,000 liters a day,” added Abdullah Saif Saeed Al Darmaki.

Al Ain Dairy sells a range of fermented and non products that includes; natural yoghurts both in full and low fat, benecol yoghurt, stirred fruit yoghurts, crème caramel, custards: Vanilla & Chocolate, & Fruit Desserts of Strawberry & Forest fruit.  To retain their position as one of the leading producer of dairy products, Al Ain Dairy recently purchased an AED 600,000 state-of-the-art BactoScan machine, a revolutionary device that provides instant accurate and reliable bacteria count. In addition, Al Ain Dairy  have also introduced a new product line which includes guava nectar and pineapple juice, which are made from fresh juice concentrate with no added preservatives.

“Despite the recent economic slowdown and tough competition in the market Al Ain Dairy is continuing to expand its product line and increase its capacity. Our aim is to eventually be present in all the product categories and to offer our customers an unlimited selection of fresh fruit juices,” concluded Abdullah Saif Saeed Al Darmaki.

-END-

About Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production:

Established in the UAE in 1981, Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production is considered today as the pioneer in the UAE’s dairy farm industry. Having heavily invested in its production phases and owning three cow farms, one camel farm and one poultry farm, the company has developed its technological and medical approach to guarantee top quality 100% healthy dairy products.  Worldwide technology including high speed packaging machines, accurate bacteria testing machines and well equipped labs, has been a key factor in positioning Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production as a first choice for customers in the competitive market. Throughout all aspects of its operations, Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production strives for total excellence and quality management in manufacturing the highest quality local dairy products. From gaining HACCP certification in recognition of meeting the highest international standards of product hygiene and safety, to implementing a comprehensive corporate social responsibility program, Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production is committed to inspiring the highest levels of consumer confidence in its products and services.

For further information, please contact

Shatha Al Khatib

O2 Public Relations

Mobile: +971 050-2908921

Phone: +971 43122777

Fax: +971 43122788

Email: Shatha.k@o2pr.net

Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production, the first established dairy in UAE and a leading producer of dairy products, has been awarded the ISO 22000:2005 certificate for its ability to demonstrate its ability to control food safety hazards.

In order to be awarded ISO, Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production had to plan, implement, operate, maintain and update a Food Safety Management System, demonstrate compliance with applicable statutory and regulatory food safety requirements, evaluate and assess customer requirements, effectively communicate food safety issues to their suppliers, customers and relevant interested parties in the food chain, ensure that the organization conforms to its stated food safety policy and demonstrate such conformity to relevant interested parties.

Commenting on the recent ISO certification, Mr. Abdullah Saif Saeed Al Darmaki CEO, Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production said:

“By certifying our Food Safety management system against the requirements of ISO we now comply with Codex HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) principles.  For Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production, this means a system approach rather than product approach, better planning and improved documentation. This will enable us to easily indentify food safety hazards and implement control measures.”

In addition to ISO 22000, Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production was also eligible for the PAS 220 Food Safety Certificate, which provides proof of best proactive for prerequisite programmes on food safety for food manufacturing. Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 220:2008 is a standard which specifies requirements for prerequisite programmes to assist in controlling food safety risks within the manufacturing processes of international food supply chains.

In order to secure the ISO certificate, Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production has to pass various tests and examinations.  A Food Safety Team was developed and was responsible for planning and executing the Food Safety Management System requirements with the following scope of: Manufacturing and distributing Dairy & Juice products, manufacturing products under Private Labeling/ Brand Name and Rearing Healthy Cattle and Camels for Production of whole fresh clean lacteal secretion, which is practically free from Colostrum or mastitic milk. The Produced milk is chilled immediately, stored in insulated tanks and transported to the Dairy Plant.

Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production also prepared an “Integrated Management System (IMS) Manual” which deals with the integrated systems of QMS ISO 9001:2008 (Quality Management System) and FSMS ISO 22000:2005 (Food Safety Management System). This manual describes the Integrated Management System based on the requirements of ISO 9001:2008 & ISO 22000:2005, which have been established, implemented and maintained at Al Ain Farms for Live Stock Production. It also explains the main control mechanisms used in the pursuit of customer satisfaction, food safety and continual improvement.

“To ensure compliance with ISO we also gave Training to the personnel employed by the company on the methods of achieving quality and food safety, provided a reference base against which the adequacy of current practices can be Judged and improvements initiated, established the company directive one quality and food safety and committed on ensuring of the continuity of processes, operations and methods,” added Al Darmaki.

In addition, Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production had to go through many other processes such as establishing, implementing and maintaining effective arrangements for communications with various stakeholders, establishing an emergency response plan, managing resources, planning of product realization and defining Supplies Management and Control Process.

-END-

About Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production:

Established in the UAE in 1981, Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production is considered today as the pioneer in the UAE’s dairy farm industry. Having heavily invested in its production phases and owning three cow farms, one camel farm and one poultry farm, the company has developed its technological and medical approach to guarantee top quality 100% healthy dairy products.  Worldwide technology including high speed packaging machines, accurate bacteria testing machines and well equipped labs, has been a key factor in positioning Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production as a first choice for customers in the competitive market. Throughout all aspects of its operations, Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production strives for total excellence and quality management in manufacturing the highest quality local dairy products. From gaining HACCP certification in recognition of meeting the highest international standards of product hygiene and safety, to implementing a comprehensive corporate social responsibility program, Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production is committed to inspiring the highest levels of consumer confidence in its products and services.

For further information, please contact

Maan Dalghan

PR Account Manager

O2 Public Relations

Mobile: +971 050-4735351

Phone: +971 43122777

Fax: +971 43122788

Email: maan.d@o2pr.net

Eng. Abdullah Saif Saeed Al Darmaki CEO, Al Ain Dairy

Al Ain Dairy, the first established dairy farm in the UAE and a leading producer of dairy products, has seen a 10 % increase in its number of employees since January from 685 to 750 employees. The dairy, which produces around 170,000 liters of milk per day has seen considerable growth since the beginning of 2009 with an 18% growth in sales for the first quarter of the year.

“To be able to hire over 65 new employees this year has been phenomenal,” said Abdullah Saif Saeed Al Darmaki CEO, Al Ain Dairy. Since January we have taken on 30 people in sales, 15 for the dairy farm and factory and 15 for support divisions. This has primarily been due to the fact that the business has seen substantial growth this year,” he added.

The dairy farm has also recently introduced a new product line which includes guava nectar and pineapple juice. Both drinks will be launched in August and are made from fresh juice concentrate with no added preservatives.

“Despite the global economic slowdown and tough competition in the market we are continuing to expand our workforce and product line. Our aim is to eventually be present in all the product categories and to offer our customers an unlimited selection of fresh fruit juices. To keep up with the demand we are likely to be hiring an additional more people by the end of the year, concluded Al Darmaki

Alain Dairy farm has been recently awarded the prestigious Emirates Quality Mark Award by the Emirates Authority for Standardization & Metrology (ESMA). The award was given to Alain Dairy after corroborating with the approved standards availability of an efficient system for quality assurance and quality control, technical discussion by experts, gap analysis, conformity evaluation inspection, testing & Calibration and submitting corrective actions.

-END-

About Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production:

Established in the UAE in 1981, Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production is considered today as the pioneer in the UAE’s dairy farm industry. Having heavily invested in its production phases and owning three cow farms, one camel farm and one poultry farm, the company has developed its technological and medical approach to guarantee top quality 100% healthy dairy products.  Worldwide technology including high speed packaging machines, accurate bacteria testing machines and well equipped labs, has been a key factor in positioning Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production as a first choice for customers in the competitive market. Throughout all aspects of its operations, Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production strives for total excellence and quality management in manufacturing the highest quality local dairy products. From gaining HACCP certification in recognition of meeting the highest international standards of product hygiene and safety, to implementing a comprehensive corporate social responsibility program, Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production is committed to inspiring the highest levels of consumer confidence in its products and services.

For further information, please contact

Maan Dalghan

PR Account Manager

O2 Public Relations

Mobile: +971 050-4735351

Phone: +971 43122777

Fax: +971 43122788

Email: maan.d@o2pr.net

The Dairy and Fruit Juices Industry is expanding at a rate of 10 per cent annually and currently meets 56 per cent of the demand in the UAE, according to a recent study by the Department of Economic Development (DED), which identifies UHT juices and UHT milk as products that have great potential for export. In line with this, Al Ain Dairy, the first established dairy farm in the UAE and a leading producer of dairy products, has become one of the few dairy farms in the region to fully depend on its own herds of cows after it has launched a project, among its many activities, to minimize importing and boost local cow breeding with aims to increase milk production and further strengthen its leading position in the highly competitive market.

The Dairy industry is still expanding despite the global economic slowdown. With the existence of many dairy producers and the increase of competition level, the quality is increasing and the expenditure on the industry in terms of machinery, farms, labs, personnel and production is boosting. First launched the project in 2006, Al Ain has established and well equipped three farms to accommodate the first batch of cows which in three years have enriched Al Ain’s stock with more than 3000 milk producing cows that are currently supplying the country’s various outlets with raw milk products.

Despite of the current 26 operating cattle farms in the country which contain 15,000 cows producing 167,000 tonnes of fresh milk annually, the local market’s needs are still being covered by imported products.

Highlighting the huge demand for dairy products in the UAE, the local market faces an essential need to expand according to recent studies which have further recommended that dairy industry should research and develop new and differentiated products designed to meet specific needs and tastes of the local consumers as imports do not completely satisfy this demand.

Commenting on this subject, Eng. Abdullah Al Darmaki, CEO, Al Ain Dairy, said:
“The decision to grow our own cattle has been derived from Al Ain Dairy’s vision to be recognized as the preferred choice of dairy products for all customers and to become a self-sufficient plant that provides a 100 per cent locally manufactured products”.

“Amongst the many fears that have erupted following the spread of diseases among cattle, we have opted to grow our own herds following high levels of safety standards, with constant health inspections”, added Al Darmaki.

Cows have a 9 month gestation period after which they give birth and start producing milk, where each cow can produce up to 10000 liters annually. The original cows were imported from Australia, however, today Al Ain Dairy no longer import as the farm is able now to breed enough replacements on its own. Each farm has its own vet and helper to look after the cows, where cows are constantly diagnosed and treated.

To further improve milk quality and enforce health standards, Al Ain Dairy has recently purchased a Dhs.600,000 state of the art BactoScan machine, a revolutionary device that provides instant accurate and reliable bacteria count in unlike of the conventional methods that takes 24 – 48 hours.