São Paulo – The Cordeiro da Estância brand started last September to produce halal ovine meat, which means proper for Muslim consumption. The cuts are being certified and the slaughter supervised by Cdial Halal certifier. The company is based in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul and specializes in poll dorset breed premium products.
Last September, after the first halal slaughter in the official season, the company started a dissemination strategy for the product. “Within 90 days, we intend to put the ovine kibbeh into the market too, which is not part of our line yet – we are creating it specifically for the Muslims. We had great experiences with Muslim clients here in the South. They are people that came from outside the country and are extremely welcoming. It’s something that motivates us. They already purchase our entire line and they are eager for this ovine halal kibbeh,” Poll Dorset Sul da Cordeiro da Estância Breeders Nucleus president Cláudio de Sottomaior Filho told ANBA.
By creating other halal meat products, such as the kibbeh, the idea is to add value to the certificate. The company has operated for just one year and a half and produces 8,000 Kg of lamb meat per month.
Sottomaior says that Brazil still imports 60% of the ovine meat it consumes. It’s this demand that Cordeiro da Estância bets in, now in the halal market. “We definitely think in exporting, but we’re still breaking into the domestic market. We still have no idea of the quantity we need to put into the domestic market. We have clients here that came from Islamic countries, that have been in Brazil for a year without eating meat because they just eat halal,” he said.
Poll Dorset Sul Breeders Nucleus president believes that one of the highlights of this new market will be the premium product. “The poll dorset meat is marbled. It’s often compared to bovine angus meat,” he pointed out on the details of the meat marbling, which is the dispersion of fat into the lean meat.
The company expects to have enough halal meat for the off-season period of the year too. The ovine season runs from October to May. The idea is to start selling in the state of São Paulo, which has a large Muslim community. Operations are set to intensify in 90 days from now, with a new certified slaughter.
Halal beef
Cordeiro da Estância also has a partnership with Frigorífico 3K, a bovine slaughterhouse in Rio Grande do Sul. Together, the companies already produce 20,000 Kg per month of vacuumed beef.
This meat is sold under the brand Frigorífico 3K and will also break into the halal market. “Within 90 days, we’ll slaughter [certified] cattle too. We will have bovine cuts with the same quality. And it’ll be angus meat, slaughtered under two years of age,” Sottomaior said, pointing out that all animals are grass-fed, which he says translates into more noble cuts.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
