Halal firm encourages buffalo consumption

The company, which claims to be the largest halal producer and exporter of boneless buffalo, is at the international trade fare in Dubai to promote buffalo as a healthy, and hygienic, dish on a global platform.

According to Euromonitor International, the global foodservice market reached US$2.6tn in 2013. Despite this, Abdul Samad Ansari, regional sales manager for Allanasons, highlighted to GlobalMeatNews there still isn’t a market for buffalo. He also made the point that the buffalo meat being consumed in North America is bison, something very different to what Allanasons is producing.

To promote the dish, buffalo burger sliders are being cooked up for consumers at Gulfood Manufacturing for attendees to sample.

“There is a big opportunity for us to go to the next level to market buffalo as a consumer product, and why is that?”​ asked Ansari. “Because the world is moving towards healthy options. I would be very proud to say that buffalo is one of the healthiest animals in terms of consumption.” According to Ansari, these health benefits can be attributed to the low fat and high protein count of buffalo meat.​

Allanasons has a large presence in regions such as Asia (especially Southeast Asia), Russia, Central Asian countries, the Middle East and Africa, “and we don’t see why the rest of the world shouldn’t try our products”​, he said.

“For me, it’s a surprise why places like America, Europe and Australia are refraining from consuming something that we believe is very healthy. Allanasons being the largest producer in the world, it should be given a chance for consumers of these countries to try something that is very healthy.”​

Ansari believes the buffalo burgers, which contain 100% buffalo meat and no beef, ought to be given a chance on a global market.

He explained to GlobalMeatNews that over the past few decades, buffalo meat has been seen as a cheap meat. “The time has come for this positioning to change, because people are buying it and people are using it for different purposes,” he urged. “Some of them say it is beef, but we never say that – it’s buffalo.”​

Although it may once have been considered cheap, it should be marketed as a premium product. Whereas traditional burgers often sell for $15, a buffalo burger could be sold for up to $28.

Aside from the meat’s health benefits, it should also be taken into account that it is clean. “It’s our first effort in making people aware that buffalo is definitely one of the most hygienic and, because it is halal, the process itself makes it very healthy – there is no blood,”​ added Ansari.