São Paulo – Portuguese airline TAP’s on-board food providing subsidiary started providing halal certified food this month, guaranteeing that the meals served under this certification are prepared according to Islamic principles. Cateringpor informed ANBA that it sought the seal to supply Emirates Airline, which started flying from Dubai to Lisbon on the 9th.
According to the company, the supply of halal food is made at the client’s request, and the service for non-Muslim clients remains the same. Certification was by the Muslim Community of Lisbon.
To get the stamp, the company says it sought certified raw material "and a rigorous productive process, supported by utensils and work flows that guarantee the absence of contact with ‘haraam’ ingredients, in other words, those which do not respect the precepts of the Koran.” Among these ingredients are pork and alcoholic beverages, banned by Islam.
Cateringpor believes that certification “adds value” to its services, as it makes it “more diverse and multicultural” and is “a form of adaptation of the company to the new market needs”. "To start with, it was fundamental to win new clients, (Emirates),” pointed out the company.
Cateringpor is the result of association between TAP and aviation catering company LSG Sky Chefs, which belongs to the German Lufthansa. The companies, respectively, have 51% and 49% shares. It supplies airlines that fly from Lisbon Airport.
*Translated by Mark Ament
