The Chateaulin, Finistere, France-headquartered Groupe Doux and its Saudi partner, Al Munajem Cold Stores Co., have introduced Doux Fitlife frozen chicken in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) following two years of research and development. Containing 10% less fat than other poultry products on the market, it features chicken fed with flax seeds, a natural source of Omega 3.
According to Dr. Bernard Schmitt, an expert in human nutrition and advisor to the French Authority for Food Safety: “Omega 3s, or good healthy fats, are essential for maintaining health. Our body cannot make them or substitute for them itself, so they must be provided via one’s dietary intake, and a lack of them can have serious consequences for our health.”
Approximately 70% of the Saudi population is considered overweight, of which 29% are classified as obese. Without changes in diet and lifestyle, it is likely that by 2022 the figure could rise to as high as 59%. This looming but preventable public health problem is blamed on insufficient physical activity and diets that are overly rich – particularly in unhealthy saturated fats – and lacking in Omega 3.
Consuming 120 grams of Doux Fitlife chicken per day provides 30% of the recommended daily intake of Omega 3. The product is now available in the freezer sections of retail stores throughout Saudi Arabia, packed in individual units (weighing from 800 to 1,400 grams) and in boxes containing five pieces.
“Our frozen chicken was introduced to Saudi Arabia in 1974, and Doux has been a favorite brand among consumers in the Kingdom for more than two generations,” said Christophe Couroussé, ceo of Doux France. “Today we again are again pioneers in the chicken market by offering a new, high-quality product that promotes the benefits of proper nutrition, thus setting a course for healthy eating.”
Thamer Abanumay, ceo of Riyadh-based Al Munajem Cold Stores Co., added: “Saudis, who eat chicken almost every day, are conscious of the impact that diet can have on the health and well-being of their families. What they want is to be able to continue cooking the normal meals they love, while at the same time naturally maintaining a balanced diet and a healthier lifestyle.”
He continued: “We investigated how to breed and feed chicken in an even healthier way, and collaborated with more than 400 Saudi consumers to design and complete the innovation, taking into account all their needs and expectations.”
Doux and Al Munajem worked hand-in-hand with leading French experts and scientists – including the National Agrifood Research Institute (INRA) and Valorex, the nutrition expert for flax seeds – and were able to rely on the support of the Brittany and Pays de Loire regions in western France, where Doux Fitlife chickens are born, raised and prepared.
Saudi Arabia is the world’s leading importer of whole frozen chickens. Per capita consumption of poultry amounts to around 45 kilograms per annum, and four out of 10 whole frozen chickens purchased in the Kingdom are Doux brand products.
Meanwhile, according to recent reports in the French press, Doux is looking for investors to help finance an estimated EUR 100 million modernization plan for its processing plants, as the company aims to focus more on producing upscale items for export markets and halal products for distribution in Europe. Reportedly, it intends to outsource production of low-end SKUs in the future.
“We would like to have had these partnerships signed up by the end of this year, but negotiations are likely to run into 2018,” said CEO Couroussé.
