Angkor Dairy Products Co Ltd and Ly Ly Food Industry Co Ltd (Lyly Food) have obtained halal certification from the Cambodian Halal Steering Committee (CHSC), according to the authority’s deputy chairman Osman Hassan.
Hassan made the remarks on September 27 while leading a delegation to the companies’ facilities to verify halal compliance.
Established in 2013, Angkor Dairy has become one of the largest dairy firms in the Kingdom, employing more than 500 people, and is officially recognised by a number of national and international institutions, he said.
He added that the company has a catalogue of 15 products, including raw milk, that sell for at least 20 per cent less than their counterparts imported from neighbouring countries.
“After being certified as a halal product, market circulation will increase by more than eight per cent,” he said.
Lyly Food CEO Keo Mom said the certification would improve the market for the firm’s rice-based snacks and other offerings, and drive consumer confidence higher.
She appealed to Hassan to promote Ly Ly-branded products to Cambodian Muslims to “consume with confidence”.
Angkor Dairy Products started production on May 26, 2016 in Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone, in the western part of the capital.
With a total investment capital of $23 million, the factory is a joint venture between Vietnam Dairy Products JSC (Vinamilk) and local partner BPC Trading Co Ltd, and produces under the Angkor Mill brand.
In its 2020 consolidated annual report, Vinamilk reported net revenue of 59.723 trillion dong ($2.6 billion) for the year, marking a 5.89 per cent increase from 56.400 trillion dong in 2019.
Profit after tax reached 11.236 trillion dong, up by 6.5 per cent year-on-year from 10.554 trillion dong. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) came to 15.871 trillion dong, rising by nearly seven per cent year-on-year from 14.853 trillion dong.
Working with the Ministry of Commerce to inspect and evaluate prospective products, the CHSC has issued 173 halal certificates for 693 items at 29 eating establishments, 84 industrial businesses and a chicken slaughterhouse, according to Hassan.
