Friday, June 22, 2012

Halal Food We Can Trust


For the last week I have been in the metro Denver area connecting with Muslim communities and speaking to them about Saffron Road and it provides a halal, certified humane, and organic chicken entree to COSTCO. The responses have been extremely positive!

I met with a group of activists that work to build bridges within the greater Denver community, this group is part of a larger community service organization called MILA Muslims Intent on Learning and Activism.

While at their meeting, I began to speak about Saffron Road and what the brand has to offer. As I was speaking the women hosting us stood up and with saying anything began to walk into the kitchen. When she returned she presented me with a 28oz. box of Saffron Road Chicken Tikka Masala from COSTCO. She said, "is this what your talking about? We already buy it!" She began to tell her guests ~15 how much she and her husband loved the product. She politely ordered all of her guests to head to COSTCO and get some of this halal goodness!

The real selling point however, was evident in my ability to answer questions concerning the raising and production of the chickens. Saffron Road products can be trusted! Their products are what they claim to be--halal, certified humane and organic!

During the trip many Muslims looked at me trying to figure out if I used the words certified humane and organic to describe a halal product. At first I feel bad, because people have been waiting so long for a quality product like this. However, that bad feeling soon fades away, when I see them smiling. Their smiles say two things, they are relived that they have a halal option they can trust, and they are similarly excited about halal products entering mainstream retail markets.

This is the way forward. Follow the Saffron Road!


Friday, June 15, 2012

Saffron Road Takes a Road Trip





FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Saffron Road Takes a Road Trip
Brand to Promote New Halal Products to Muslim Communities
Stamford, CT – June 15, 2012 – In an effort to create more awareness and further their bond with Muslim consumers, Saffron Road, the packaged food brand of American Halal Co., is hitting the road to visit multiple Muslim communities across the West Coast region of the United States. As availability with retail partners continues to significantly increase on the West Coast, the Saffron Road team hopes their Club Halal tour will drive more awareness of their Halal Certified products, while also encouraging consumers to go into their local stores to purchase the brand’s products.
Saffron Road CEO, Adnan Durrani, says, “Hitting the road with a mobile tour is a first for our brand, and we’re excited to connect with Muslim communities so directly. I started this company out of the recognition that there are too few Halal options in the American marketplace, and we are certainly doing our part to make it easier for Muslim shoppers to find food products that meet their needs,” continues Durrani.
The brand is partnering with Muslim thought leaders Dawood Yasin and Mustafa Davis to help communicate their message to Muslim communities in Denver, Boulder, San Diego, Phoenix and San Francisco.
Dawood Yasin, Muslim Advisor of Dartmouth College of Hanover, New Hampshire says, “Saffron Road has done all of us a great service by raising the industry standards in Halal food production. For years people have asked me, “where can I find Halal, humanely raised, organic beef and chicken?” I could not recommend any brands, as I was not confident that their products were meeting such standards. Saffron Road has not only met these standards for the American Muslim community, it has, in addition to this, also won the support of mainstream retail food vendors.  That’s huge! I am excited to be a part of this Road Trip, and to share with others my experiences of promoting a Halal brand that I can trust.”
Each stop will include a brief informational session about Saffron Road’s Halal standards, commitment to ethical consumerism and focus on providing Muslim consumers with more quality Halal options in convenient grocery stores all across the country. Complimentary samples of Saffron Road products will also be available, along with special offers exclusively for attendees. In addition, the tour will announce details of an important new retailer partnership with select Costco stores in the area.

Mustafa Davis, Film Director and Photographer from Fremont, California shares, "The Saffron Road tour is a very exciting initiative for me. In the past I, myself, have been skeptical of the meat and poultry industry for many reasons. We live in a time where corporate scandals and mistreatment of animals dominate the food industry media and so it's very refreshing to see that Saffron Road has created a brand that embodies ethical consumerism, all-natural, anti-biotic free products harvested on family owned farms.  After personally visiting the farms, I saw firsthand the amount of care and concern Saffron Road has not only for the animals, local farmers, and the environment, but also for maintaining the highest Islamic principles of Halal. I'm positive that Saffron Road is setting the ethical standard of Halal for the American Muslim community." 

Saffron Road markets a variety of Halal Certified products – from frozen gourmet ethnic meals and chicken nugget items, to broths, simmer sauces and appetizers. All Saffron Road products are Halal Certified by the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA). Saffron Road’s All Natural Certified Halal entree uses chicken that is Certified Humane by Humane Farm Animal Care. All of Saffron Road’s livestock are fed 100% vegetarian feed and are never given Antibiotics or Hormones.

For more information on the Club Halal tour visit, www.saffronroadfood.com/club-halal. 


About Saffron Road                                                                                                                                                                                          
American Halal Co. markets All Natural Halal Certified food under the Saffron Road brand. Adnan Durrani, the CEO, and Jack Acree, the EVP, are serial entrepreneurs having been involved in companies like Vermont Pure Spring Water, Stonyfield Farms, Inc., Alexia Foods, and Terra Chips. The Company’s management and Board represent a team of proven entrepreneurs at building premium food brands. Saffron Road’s mission is to offer All Natural Halal Certified and Gluten Free foods, which are also holistic, sustainably farmed, and antibiotic free.  Saffron Road’s products are sourced from livestock which is fed only 100% vegetarian feed and are humanely treated. The Company seeks to bring its mission to a higher awakening with the local and global community, embodying a socially conscious company ethic as well as setting the standard for premium quality Halal Cuisine. 

Media Contacts:  Lisa Mabe, Hewar Social Communications, 202.505.2890, lisa@hewarcommunications.com                      Kate Pearson, American Halal Company, Inc., 203.961.1954 x100, kate@americanhalal.com  
For more information about Saffron Road, please visit saffronroadfood.com. You can also join us on Facebook at facebook.com/saffronroadfood, on Twitter at twitter.com/saffronroadfood or on Pinterest at pinterest.com/saffronroadfood.

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Partnering with Saffron Road



I am excited to announce that I have partnered with the halal food industry's leading brand, Saffron Road. Two years ago when the company launched in Ramadan I was in Berkeley California at Zaytuna College for the summer. I took my family to Whole Foods and stocked up on almost all of their frozen entrees. These gluten free dinners were great meal options for last minute iftars. Needless to say we have been supporting Saffron Road ever since, by telling communities and friends about this unique company. 

Two years later, I find myself traveling the Saffron Road and taking the show to various communities. I have teamed up with Mustafa Davis to promote Saffron Road during its new launch in Costco on the West Coast. During the next few weeks; we will be Blogging, Tweeting and posting on Facebook our interactions with communities in Denver, Boulder, Phoenix, San Diego and San Francisco.
Thursday we arrived in Denver after spending the entire day Wednesday in New York and Pennsylvania with production plant employees, family farmers, management staff and humanely raised chickens, lots of happy chickens!!! This experience has been great! The trip to the plant and modest family owned  farm in Amish country has only increased my confidence in this company.
Saffron Road offers a great product, but don't take my word for it. Go to the website and use the Store Locator to find the nearest location that carries Saffron Road products.
There are many reasons why I support Saffron Road, but in summing it up, it looks like this: 

  • Saffron Road is committed to embodying a comprehensive meaning of halal
  • I can trust Saffron Road products and serve them to my family with confidence
  •  Saffron Road understands that spirituality and food are linked and embodies this belief in their whole eco-cycle from farm to your table. 
  • Saffron Road is driven by strong ethical morals and traditional faith-based values 
  • Saffron Road is creating greater visibility for the American Muslim community through increased brand presence
  • Plainly speaking...their products taste amazing!

    Go and get you some...you can thank me later!

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