PAGE Blog Business Weekly Magazine
Interview with Mr. Nasib Ahmed Saifi – CEO, Anis Associates
PAGE: Tell me something about your organization:
NASIB AHMED SAIFI: Anis Associates (Pvt) Ltd started functions in 2002 and is located in 4 K-M Raiwind Manga Road, Distt. Kasur, Pakistan, with an aim to become Pakistan’s first fully integrated Halal Meat Company. Anis Associates (Pvt) Ltd is a leading and innovative supplier of top quality red Halal meat products for the local, national and international retail, commercial and food service markets. Anis Associates serves every market sector with the widest possible range of choices, all produced to exact customer specifications. Over the years, Anis Associates has developed to become one of Pakistan’s leading and respected suppliers of top quality beef, mutton and its products for the national and international retail, commercial and foodservice markets. The company is committed to continuous improvement with regard to the environment and is currently working towards the implementation of environmental management systems to ISO-14001:2004 Standards.
PAGE: What about quality standards, health & safety and hygienic meat supply?
NASIB AHMED SAIFI: When it comes to technical quality, Anis Associates (Pvt) Ltd products exceed all relevant national and international quality standards. Health & safety is our main priority within Anis Associates (Pvt) Ltd and the welfare of our employees is taken very seriously. We continuously conduct the health and safety training for our employees. Customer satisfaction is achieved through a comprehensive system leading to continual improvement and consistent quality. We have planned to take an initiative to take care of ethical and health values of Halal meat & its products while ensuring hygienic integrated Halal meat value chain through a compliance regime right from the animal origin to the end user.
PAGE: What are the objectives of your organization?
NASIB AHMED SAIFI: Our objectives are:
– To provide hygienic Halal slaughtering facility of international standards to the customers for providing certified Halal meat.
– To produce Halal meat of international quality for local and export purpose.
– To follow all food safety and hygienic standard.
– To convert by-products into useable raw material for other industries.
– To introduce the modern technology in Halal meat processing, and change industry wide practices.
– To reduce pollution through proper waste disposal.
– To improve Halal meat processing efficiency by introducing mechanization and mass production.
– To introduce the value addition in our products towards more consumer friendly i.e. ready to cook.
PAGE: What are your achievements:
NASIB AHMED SAIFI: Our development and achievements are as follows:
Approved by Animal Quarantine Department, Government of Pakistan:
– ISO 9001: 2008
– ISO 22000:2005
– HACCP Certification
– Halal Certifications
– BRC
– GlobalGap
– ISF
Anis Associates (Pvt) Ltd has its roots planted in the heart of the finest beef and mutton producing countryside in the Pakistan even in the world, where livestock husbandry standards are among the best in Pakistan. We are proud of the heritage we share with our producers and have developed long term working relationships with our farmers. We work in collaboration with our producers in order to provide a consistent quality product to our customers.
PAGE: Do you have skilled workforce and are you involved in csr?
NASIB AHMED SAIFI: At Anis Associates (Pvt) Ltd we place a strong emphasis on our people. As a progressive company we are one of the most significant employers in the food industry of Pakistan. We are an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to the training and development of all staff at all levels. At Anis Associates, Corporate Social Responsibility goes far beyond donating money to good causes. Instead, as a company, an all year round commitment is in place for engagement in local communities and accepting responsibility for the environment.
PAGE: Kindly tell us about your capacity and products:
NASIB AHMED SAIFI: We have increased our capacity from 60M/T of chilled meat to 100M/T and 40M/T of frozen meat to 80M/T.
Our products are:
– Halal Chilled Mutton
– Halal Chilled Beef
– Halal Chilled Mutton and Beef Products
– Halal Frozen Mutton
– Halal Frozen Beef
– Halal Frozen Mutton and Beef Products
Beef cuts
– Shank
– Thick Flank & Knuckle
– Silverside
– Topside
– Rump
– Fillet
– Loins
– Flank
– Ribs
– Brisket
– Chuck, Clod & Bladeneck
– Shin
Lamb cuts:
– Shank
– Leg
– Chump
– Flank
– Loin
– Tender Loin
– Shoulder
– Neck
– Shin
Anis Associates (Pvt) Ltd has invested heavily in its New Product Development team and facilities.
Some of our product concepts are:
– Steaks/Chops
– Burgers/Meatballs
– Joints
PAGE: What is your food safety and quality assurance policy?
NASIB AHMED SAIFI: Anis Associates (Pvt) Ltd is committed to meeting all legal and licensing requirements in relation to food safety and quality assurance.
This commitment is achieved by:-
1. Implementing food safety and quality assurance controls throughout all stages of the supply chain.
2. Ensuring the food safety program meets all requirements by national and international standards
3. Maintaining very strict hygiene requirements to ensure that all products prepared for human consumption are wholesome.
4. Requiring employees at all times to comply with all hygiene specific training, instructions and directions.
5. Ensuring the quality assurance program meets the requirements.
6. Maintaining very strict quality assurance standards that are essential to customer requirements.
7. Ensuring that our product through the role of designated Quality Assurance Officers at all sites complies with customer specifications prior to sale and distribution.
8. Requiring employees at all times to comply with all product specific training, instructions and directions and assist Quality Assurance Officers in the performance of their duties.
PAGE: Environment plays a very pivotal role these days. what is your environmental policy?
NASIB AHMED SAIFI: Anis Associates (Pvt) Ltd as a responsible corporate citizen, is committed to integrating environmental considerations intuits business decisions.
To sustain and protect the environment, the Company will:-
1. Manage the Company’s activities in a manner that facilitates the ongoing minimization of environmental harm.
2. Comply with or exceed the requirements of all applicable environmental laws, regulations and guidelines.
3. Develop internal standards and procedures to ensure environmentally responsible practices.
4. Consult with the appropriate authorities and technical organizations to develop the Company’s internal environmental standards, procedures and practices.
5. Conduct regular environmental audits at all our sites.
6. Control and continuously improve our manufacturing processes to minimize any impact on the environment and to become increasingly more efficient in the use of water and energy resources.
7. Develop processes to enable the Company to anticipate and address environmental issues and ensure that appropriate actions are taken to properly safeguard the environment in the most prudent and economical manner.
8. Provide relevant employees and external stakeholders with the information and/or training necessary to perform their work in accordance with this policy.
9. Embrace the concept of sustainable development and strive for best practice environmental management to achieve an ongoing minimization of environmental harm through cost-effective measures assessed against the measures currently used nationally and internationally.
PAGE: Meat: nutrition, facts & information. give your views:
NASIB AHMED SAIFI: Research shows that protein helps maintain healthy weight, build muscle and fuel physical activity – all of which play an important role for a healthy lifestyle and disease prevention. It is recommended to consume high quality protein, thereby acquiring all the essential nutrients that your body needs. In fact, lean protein makes it easier to enjoy and incorporate more fruits, vegetables and whole grains in your diet.
Beef is one of the most nutrient rich foods for an active and healthy lifestyle. A three-ounce serving of lean beef accounts for less than ten percent of calories to a 2,000 calorie diet. Yet, it is an excellent source of protein, zinc, Vitamin B, iron, selenium and phosphorus.
Iron, zinc and Vitamin B play an essential role in developing and maintaining cognitive ability across the lifecycle. Iron helps deliver oxygen to working muscles, and is required for energy metabolism. Vitamin B helps convert the food that you eat, into energy to fuel activity.
Lamb approximately contains 160 calories per 100 grams and is a good source of protein, iron, zinc, Vitamin B and selenium, all of which facilitate an active and healthy lifestyle. Lamb offers about 25% protein and seven percent fat (which does not include carbohydrates).
Vitamin B and minerals play an essential role in developing and maintaining cognitive ability. While zinc affects the immune function, Vitamin B12 supports the production of red blood cells; niacin provides protection against Alzheimer’s disease and age-related cognitive decline, and selenium helps in the working of thyroid hormone metabolism.
Most nutritional studies around the world about beef have been about American and European beef, which is raised very differently from most Pakistani beef. Unlike the natural process of raising cattle in Pakistan, beef in developed countries comes from feed-lots, where cattle is kept cramped, fed an unnatural diet of grains and pumped full of hormones and antibiotics. The disadvantages of grain-fed, feed-lot bred beef have led distinguishing consumers in the West to prefer “free-range, grass-fed” beef.
Our selection process for our animals ensured that we get nothing but the finest free-range, grass-fed meat. We do this because there are stark differences between grain-fed and grass.
Meat should smell fresh with no sour or stale odor. It the latter holds true, don’t buy it since a rancid smell indicates that the meat is spoilt and should not be consumed.
The meat you buy should be firm as opposed to being tough or soft. Poke the meat cut to find out if it has been sitting on shelf for a very long duration. If the meat feels hard or if it does not spring back and regains its original shape if you poke it, it would mean that the meat is not fresh.
Look for meat that is a rich cherry or slightly brownish red in color. The beef should look moist on the surface and should not be wet or sticky. If you are buying pre wrapped beef and notice that there is a lot of liquid in the packaging, it would indicate that the meat has been frozen and is thawing. Beef that’s turning brown indicates that it has been sitting on the shelf for far too long and should be avoided.
When buying meat, don’t be tempted to purchase large quantities in a single go. You’ll need a slot of storage space in your freezer. Meat has to be stored at a temperature of 0 Fahrenheit and has to be frozen quickly.
