The first product to meet the controls set by Islam is a mortadela sausage

Crismona obtains the Halal guarantee issued to foods fit for consumption by Muslims The Halal Institute in Spain is responsible for regulating and certifying products and services aimed at Muslims.

Crismona, a leading Córdoba company in the food and agriculture sector, founded in 1904, has been awarded the Halal certificate, which is applied to food or drinks which are fit to be consumed by Muslims and which means "permitted, authorised or healthy". The Crismona poultry sausage meat will be the first product by the hundred-year-old company from Doña Mencía to meet the strict consumption controls set out by Islamic law.

Jesús Aparicio, Commercial and Quality Director of Crismona, stated: "This certification further extends our vocation as an exporter. The company currently sells in over 30 countries, and with the Halal certificate the door is now open to all countries with a majority Muslim population."

For a food to be considered Halal it must meet the rulings of the Koran, the traditions of the Prophet and the teachings of Islamic jurists. The certificate is awarded by the Halal Institute, a non-profit-making organisation created by the Islamic Board, which is responsible for and signatory of the Co-operation Agreements between Muslims and the Spanish State.

"The main objective of the Halal Institute is to regulate and certify products and services destined for consumption by Muslims in Spain and the European Union, and exported to majority Muslim countries," said Marco Aurelio, Director of the Islamic Board's Halal Institute.

The Halal Institute seal The seal issued by the Halal Institute certifies that the product comes with the Halal Guarantee. This means strictly meeting the requirements set out by Islamic law, through complete control of the slaughtering process and the manufacturing procedures applied to the products, which might contain pork meat, pork derivatives or alcohol in their ingredients.

The Crismona Halal Poultry Mortadela is made from the meat of animals which have been sacrificed according to the Halal ritual and in slaughterhouses listed on the corresponding register, meeting all the requirements of Muslim ruling (*).

The Crismona Halal Poultry Mortadela comes in a tin, for better flavour and aroma than products with plastic packaging. It requires no cold storage and does not expire for three years. In nutritional terms, it is a light, healthy and balanced product, and as it is made from selected poultry meats (chicken and turkey), it is naturally low in fat and cholesterol.

About Crismona: Crismona is Spain's largest producer of olive oil not run as a co-operative. The family business was founded in 1904 by Pedro Moreno Moreno in the south of the Córdoba province. Today its products are sold all over Spain and in more than 30 countries.

Crismona began as a producer and exporter of fino wines and extra virgin olive oil. The son and grandson of Pedro Moreno who took over the company developed the firm further by incorporating the production of meat conserves, frozen foods and vinegars. They also developed the extra virgin olive oil side of the business, installing a modern packaging plant for virgin oils and extending the oil-producing plants to the ten owned by the company today.

Crismona is currently managed by the fourth generation of the Moreno family. For more information, visit www.crismona.com.

(*)About Islamic ruling: To offer maximum guarantees, the Halal Institute carries out content control analyses, using officially accredited laboratories. These controls comply with Islamic ruling if:

• They are free of all illicit (Haram) substances or ingredients, and of any component from a forbidden animal.
• The product is prepared, produced and/or stored using utensils or machinery which conform to Islamic ruling and Spanish health regulations.
• The product does not enter into contact with a prohibited substance or product during its preparation, production, processing, storage and transport.
• The animals are slaughtered in accordance with Islamic Law.

This law prescribes that the animal must be sacrificed while invoking the name of Allah in the direction of Mecca; that the breathing paths, the oesophagus and the jugular must be cut, aiming to cause the least amount of suffering possible to the animal, and that it must be allowed to bleed; that the utensils and machinery must be clean and the sacrifice must be carried out by a practising Muslim who has suitable knowledge of the conditions of a Halal sacrifice; that only healthy animals may be slaughtered, and, finally, that the animal must be dead before treated further. For more information, visit www.institutohalal.com.

The management system applies throughout the firm's olive-oil packing process

Crismona celebrates its centenary by obtaining the ISO 9001:2000 Certificate of Quality The certificate was granted by Bureau Veritas Quality Internacional, Spain's leading private certification company.

Crismona, a leading Córdoba company in the food and agriculture sector, founded in 1904, has recently obtained the ISO 9001:2000 certification for the Quality Management System used throughout its olive-oil packing process.

The certificate was awarded by Bureau Veritas Quality Internacional (BVQI), Spain's leading private certification company, under UKAS accreditation, for all its oil packing centres. Crismona has ten olive oil presses, all fitted with the latest and most innovative technology, and specially designed to obtain the best possible quality and yield, while respecting the environment and the surrounding area (*).

Crismona Director General D. Pedro Moreno expressed his satisfaction, stating that "the ISO 9001:2000 ratifies our commitment to offer consumers maximum quality, and to continue working in the most professional way the market can recognise. And our team is as determined and takes the same care in producing quality products as when Crismona was first set up."

"Since its beginnings, back in 1904, Crismona has produced olive oils in the heart of the biggest area of olive groves in the world, leading to what is today one of the largest olive-oil producing companies in Spain," added the Director General.

This certification from BVQI reinforces the international image of Crismona, as it recognises the maturity and efficiency of its Quality System and confirms the company's belief in ongoing progress so as to respond better each day to consumers' expectations. Crismona launched its brand of oil to make the virtues of this exquisite product, so beneficial for our health, known to the world. Today it can be found in over 30 countries across the five continents.

Crismona, empresa cordobesa líder en el sector agroalimentario y fundada en 1904, ha obtenido recientemente la certificación ISO 9001:2000 para el Sistema de Gestión de Calidad de todo el proceso de envasado de su aceite de oliva.

El certificado ha sido otorgado por la compañía Bureau Veritas Quality Internacional (BVQI), primera entidad privada de certificación en España, bajo la acreditación UKAS para todos sus centros de envasado de aceite. Crismona cuenta con diez almazaras de aceite de oliva, con la más moderna e innovadora tecnología. Sus instalaciones están especialmente concebidas para obtener la mejor calidad y rendimiento posibles, respetando el entorno y el medio ambiente (*).

The global network of technical experts working in Bureau Veritas Quality International can help you in the effective management of Quality, Environmental Aspects, Health and Safety, Social Responsibility, and Technical and Economic Optimisation of your assets. For more information, visit www.bvqi.es

About Crismona: Crismona is Spain's largest producer of olive oil not run as a co-operative. The family business was founded in 1904 by Pedro Moreno Moreno in the south of the Córdoba province. Today its products are sold all over Spain and in more than 30 countries.

Crismona began as a producer and exporter of fino wines and extra virgin olive oil. The son and grandson of Pedro Moreno who took over the company developed the firm further by incorporating the production of meat conserves, frozen foods and vinegars. They also developed the extra virgin olive oil side of the business, installing a modern packaging plant for virgin oils and extending the oil-producing plants to the ten owned by the company today.

Crismona is currently managed by the fourth generation of the Moreno family. For more information, visit www.crismona.com.

Distribution of Crismona factories:

1. JAÉN: three olive-oil factories, located in Bailén, Torredonjimeno and Monte Lopez Álvarez. The area's characteristic olive variety is the PICUAL.

2. CÓRDOBA: three olive-oil factories, located in Moriles, Fuente Palmera and El Llano del Espinar. This province has a more varied range of olives, of which Crismona produces the following: PICUDO, PICUAL, HOJIBLANCA, LECHÍN SEVILLANA, ARBEQUINA, MANZANILLA SEVILLANA and GORDAL SEVILLANA.

3. BADAJOZ: two olive-oil factories located in Peraleda del Zaucejo and Oliva de Mérida. This province also has a large number of varieties: MORISCA, MANZANILLA CACEREÑA, VERDIAL DE HUÉVAR and PICUAL.

4. PORTUGAL: Crismona has two presses in Portugal, at San Miguel D´acha and Vale Do Peso. The characteristic varieties for these areas are Blanqueta, Aceitera and Manzanilla.