Masafi extends portfolio with the launch of Premium Basmati Rice

·    Select Natural Basmati Rice is sourced from the foothills of Himalayas

Dubai, August 3, 2011: Reinforcing its portfolio of pure, natural and world-class products, Masafi – the leading food and beverage brand across the Gulf and Middle East, today announced the launch of its Premium Basmati Rice brand. The launch of the select basmati rice is part of Masafi’s mandate to become a complete FMCG company.

The 100% natural Masafi Select Premium Basmati Rice is the finest quality basmati offering an unique aroma, authentic taste and pure goodness that is identified with all Masafi products. A rare gift of nature, Masafi Select Basmati Rice is sourced directly from the foothills of the snow-clad Himalayan mountain range in India.

Each grain of Masafi Rice embodies all the attributes of a true basmati – smooth, pearl, extra fine and extra long. The average grain length of Masafi rice is 8.34mm, compared to other basmati rice which averages around 7mm.

In comments on the launch, Ms Natascha Edelmann, Head of Marketing, Masafi, said: “We are pleased to augment our world-class product portfolio with the Premium Select Basmati Rice. Since time immemorial, Basmati Rice has been on Royal Menus of various cultures and we are happy to bring Masafi to this elite table. Coming with a superior characteristic taste/aroma, hygienic packaging and sublime taste, the fat-free and healthy Masafi Select Basmati Rice is set to delight gourmets and food connoisseurs across the region and beyond with its delectable aroma.”

“The all-new Masafi Select Premium Basmati Rice perfectly espouses the brand values that we as a company passionately believe and embrace. The rice is a perfect balance that promises an alluring taste, and promises good health. The launch of our Select Basmati rice brand is a major step in our vision to become a complete FMCG company and conquer more share of consumer hearts in the process,” she added.

The Masafi Select Premium Basmati Rice is 99 per cent fat free, cholesterol free, gluten free and salt free and offers high nutritional content. The brand team has developed a strong media plan including print, above-the-line, point-of-sale and outdoor advertisements for the campaign, apart from free sampling and special Ramadan offers.

Reinforcing the company’s reputation for quality and excellence, the Masafi Select Premium Basmati Rice is expected to cast a never-ending spell and an unforgettable experience. For free home delivery, please call Masafi toll free 800 5455; and for more information, please log into www.masafi.com.

About Masafi:

Masafi, the leading producer of pure natural mineral water in the entire Gulf, was established in 1976 with a paid-up capital of approximately $5.5 million. The company has retained its market leadership for over three decades by providing world-class products which are renowned for their pure natural freshness. This has seen Masafi become the premium reference for bottled mineral water in the entire region. In the process, it has built an extremely strong distribution network to consistently deliver to dynamic market requirements and has continuously upgraded its state-of-the-art equipment to keep pace with technological advances around the globe.

Being a leading brand that delivers to consumer needs, Masafi’s wide product portfolio includes Pure, Natural Mineral Water, Tissues, Juices, Flavored Water and Gourmet (Chips). The mineral water product line comes in bottles of 1.5 litres, 1 litre, 500ml, 330ml (regular and sports) 4 gallon bottles, 330ml kids packaging (regular and sports); mineral water cups in sizes of 250ml, 200ml, and 125ml. All Masafi product bottles are 100 per cent recyclable and only for one-time-use. The tissue line includes boutique fragrant tissues in four scents, floral tissues in purple, pink and green colors, and car tissue boxes. Masafi leads the UAE market in the Brand Equity Index in the water and tissue categories. The hugely popular Masafi Juices come in an array of original flavors and rich fruit blends available in 2 litre, 1 litre and 200ml bottles and a 100% juice blend tetra pack product line. The flavored water is available in four flavors -- strawberry, lemon, peach and mint & lemon in 500ml sizes. The Gourmet potato chips come in four flavours – sea salt, sweet chilly, ‘four cheese’ and Labneh & Zaatar.

The company was the first recipient of the ISO 9002 certification in the entire Middle East and was awarded the ISO 9001:2000 certification for developing and maintaining a high standard Quality Management System. Masafi has also been awarded the HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) certification. Masafi is also a member of International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) and Asia Bottled Water Association (ABWA). Masafi Water is tested and approved by NSF International, USA, which carries out annual unprompted audits on behalf of IBWA. Masafi is the first mineral water company in the region to be awarded the prestigious ISO 14001 certification for Environmental Management.