São Paulo – Three years ago, dairy company Pic Nic obtained Halal certification from the Brazilian Halal Food Centre (Cibal Halal). At present, 100% of the company’s production is made in accordance with Islamic rules. Products include cheese, whey concentrates, butter, cream cheese and milk cream, 90% of sales are to major food manufacturing companies, and 10% are to end consumers. Now, the goal of Pic Nic is to begin exporting. The enterprise is already seeking accreditation to sell to Mercosur countries, but it is also aware that Halal production opens a door for selling to the Arabs.
"We are interested in [the possibility of selling to the Arabs], so much so that we are seeking this accreditation to try and enter other markets. I believe we will see good results," says Juliano Valério, who is in charge of quality control at Pic Nic.
The company manufactures 20 tonnes per day of cheese alone, and another 10 tonnes of butter. Valério does not disclose the revenues of the enterprise, which is medium-sized, but claims that that he expects the production to increase once the exports begin. "We believe that after we become accredited, shipments will grow by at least 10%."
According to Valério, the company sought Halal certification by request of one of its clients. Pic Nic supplies raw materials to some of the leading food producers and traders in Brazil, such as Bauducco, Polenghi, Kraft Foods, Pizza Hut, Perdigão, Sadia, Dr. Oetker, Casa do Pão de Queijo, among others. Its products are used as ingredients for pizzas, processed foods, sauces, panettones, Easter eggs, etc.
In the domestic market, the products may be found mainly in the Greater São Paulo region. The foods are sold bearing Halal labels domestically as well. To Valério, the company’s manufacture in accordance with Islamic law has brought advantages to the company. "There are certain precautions that must be taken in the choice of raw material, and that results in a higher quality product. You pay more for the inputs, but it ends up being more advantageous," he says.
Aside from the higher quality products, Halal certification has brought about new commercial advantages. "It has made it easier for us to get new clients. For some it was a differential, it has made it easier for us to close deals with them," he claims. Pic Nic is headquartered in the city of Tapejara, in the state of Paraná, and has 250 direct employees.
Halal market
According to data supplied by the Federation of Muslim Associations of Brazil (Fambras), global Halal market revenues exceed US$ 400 billion, and grow 15% a year. A survey conducted by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce shows that Arab countries import roughly US$ 70 billion agroindustry products , and that Brazil only supplies 10% of that total.
Contact
Pic Nic
Tel.: +55 44 3677-8000
E-mail: julianovalerio@picnic.com.br
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
