Conspiracy to snuff out from market: Al Jaser
Muhannad Mansour/DTNN
Manama
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Following allegations of contamination by Kuwaiti authorities, the owners of the beleaguered herbal products brand Al Jaser said that the whole incident was a conspiracy. They alleged that the brand could be a victim of a regional conspiracy to eliminate it from the business scene in the GCC.
Since it was established in 1978, Al Jaser Factory has been providing herbal products such as palm tree and rose water to local and regional markets.
Speaking to DT News yesterday, General Manager of Al Jaser Factory Yasser Al Daqqaq said that 40 per cent of the factory’s production was for export, adding that the lion’s share usually goes to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
However, the suspicions about a conspiracy targeting the factory emerged after the leaking of a document by the Kuwaiti authorities coincided with the appearance of a new competitor in Kuwait.
It was mentioned in the official paper that “a sample of Al Jaser palm tree water was proven to be contaminated and should be immediately withdrawn from the market.”
The document was issued on September 13 and was intensively circulated on social media on September 24, rapidly reaching to thousands of consumers.
Al Daqqaq commented, “The document was released on the first day of Eid, which is a public holiday. Yet, officials from Health Ministry demanded to open our factory on the same night for inspection, and we did.”
Health Ministry says
Close on the heels of the hot debates online about the safety of the factory’s products, Public Health Director at Health Ministry Dr. Mariam Al Hajery said in a press statement, which was issued next day, “All products of Al Jaser Factory that are available in local markets are absolutely safe for human consumption.”
The Ministry reconfirmed on Sunday that “Food Products Supervision Department examinations proved that no bacterial elements were detected, as claimed on social media.”
“The factory is committed to the safety standards of GCC countries and is periodically examined by the Ministry’s inspection teams,” the statement read.
The Ministry clarified that “the bacteria that was claimed to be discovered in Kuwait (Fecal Coliform and Escherichia coli) and cause diseases to the digestive system are transmitted from excrement.”
It added that “examination records showed that such bacteria were never detected at the factory in the past 37 years.
DT News was also provided with the official documents, which showed that the same product was examined by Health Ministry a few days before the allegations appeared.
Production scene
DT News yesterday visited the factory located near Hillat Abdul Saleh village in the northern parts of the island along with Al Daqqaq and successor of the factory Faisal Al Jaser.
There, they showed the different stages of production that includes pasteurisation, sanitisation and packing. They also confirmed that the processes were done automatically and purified several times before they’re packed.
“There are many missing rings in the circulated allegations,” pointed out Al Daqqaq. He explained that the claims mentioned, “samples were taken from Al Shuwaikh Commercial Area”, while Al Jaser products are received and distributed in a different district.
“The official parties mentioned in the Kuwaiti document were unreachable, as the Eid holidays are extended there. Releasing the document during such a long holiday was an intentional act,” he alleged.
According to Al Daqqaq, Kuwait imports around 10, 000 boxes of Al Jaser palm tree water on a monthly basis. The quantity multiplies by triple during special occasions such as the Holy Month of Ramadan.
He added: “We are the only factory to export such large quantities of herbal products to other countries in the region. We were informed of other traders, who intend to enter this market in Kuwait. Investigations are going on. If all these prove to be concocted in the end, we will take legal action.”
Production at the factory was apparently not affected by the circulated allegations on Internet. Sales rates were also normal at Al Jaser outlet in Seef District.
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