Europe
GEM Foods Launches Healthy Halal Baby Products for Muslim Families
By Press Dispensary
Feb 2, 2007, 08:07

Coventry based GEM Foods is launching a range of halal baby foods designed to help Muslim parents give their children a healthier start in life without compromising their religious beliefs. Petit Gems is approved by the Halal Monitoring Committee (HMC), and is packed with nutrients such as iron and protein which Muslim babies often miss in their diets. GEM Foods is a division of Global Enterprise Management, which specialises in the production and distribution of halal products suitable for Muslim consumers. The arrival of Petit Gems in the UK follows a successful launch in France at the World Food Market Exhibition, Paris, June 2006. The range is now available in major French supermarkets. Four-month-old babies can enjoy garden vegetables and lamb casserole; vegetable and roast beef; chicken and vegetable bake; and vegetable medley. And from seven months, they can also sample garden vegetables and beef stew; spring vegetables and lamb tagine; chicken and vegetable risotto; and vegetable mix. “Babies require essential nutrients such as iron and protein to aid their growth and development but, until now, most meat-based products have not been certified halal,” says Dawood Ali, director at Global Enterprise Management. “As a result, many Muslim babies have been weaned on a diet of egg custards and desserts, which can lead to children developing skin allergies such as eczema, or suffering from other related illnesses such as iron deficiency anaemia. “Petit Gems was created out of a personal desire to help every Muslim mother provide her newborn baby with a recommended diet. These delicious, nutritional halal products mean she is no longer forced to compromise on either her faith, or her baby’s health.” GEM Foods is pricing Petit Gems on a par with major non halal brands, and hopes the foods – which contain no sugar, salt, gluten or genetically modified ingredients - may also prove popular in the non-Muslim community. A recent survey conducted by GEM Foods found that 80% of Muslim mothers would prefer an HMC-certified baby food product over the other brands available. Petit Gems meets this consumer demand, and is the only baby food to win HMC approval to date. One parent impressed by the new range is Tazarab Khan, who says: “My daughter has tried all the Petit Gems flavours – chicken, beef and lamb – and they are excellent. She has taken to them very well.”

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