Oriental ready for the future

At the new location of Oriental in The Hague, a new kitchen of 1,500 m² has recently been fitted out. Martin Chan, Managing Director of Oriental Holding Europe: "Here our chefs prepare authentic Asian dishes and products; for our own shops and restaurants, and soon also for external parties".

Martin Chan has a clear goal in mind: he wants the largest Asian supermarket chain in the Netherlands to grow from 22 to 30 stores within three years. For the large modern kitchen in The Hague, Amazing Daily Cuisine, Oriental aims to double production every year. Chan: "Soon we will increase our production of ready-made meals. Then we will also be supplying external parties." Oriental started a supermarket with Chinese products in Amsterdam in 1986. Three years later, it opened a second branch for the hospitality market and in 2000, they set up their own import department, not only for Chinese but also for premium brands from Indonesia, Thailand, Japan and Korea. 

Taste and convenience 

Oriental's policy is aimed at tasty and healthy Asian products with low fat content. A subtle combination of herbs ensures the special taste experience. Chan: "Our chefs master the art of creating just the right taste: just as delicious as people on holiday in Asia experience. This includes carefully selected ingredients, such as our pandan rice - 100% jasmine rice with a distinctive smell and taste - from Northern Thailand. We also respond to the convenience trend, with ready-made dishes and recipes that are ready within thirty minutes. And all new supers from Oriental get, just like in The Hague, a food corner where you can enjoy an authentic Asian meal for € 6.50". 

Food safety

"We want to grow. The challenge was to design a process routing in which the authentic taste experience and the safeguarding of food safety are central. Our chefs work according to fixed protocols, our own quality agency analyses samples of ingredients and end products on a daily basis, and we have advanced and easy-to-clean packing machines. Now that production is increasing, we are orienting ourselves towards a new cooling system. We want to be able to cool down within two hours, in order to minimise the risk of bacteria forming in packaged products. We are also working on two new automated production lines for bapao and pastries. Taste preservation, speed and cleanability are relevant aspects in the choices we make."

Photo: Yin Kit Sheng, Production Manager and Martin Chan, Director of Amazing Daily Cuisine

Disinfectant dry vapour

The company also wants to make an improvement in disinfection: "That's why we have the Nocotech, from Simpel Desinfecteren, for the disinfection of our production areas", says Chan. "This is an effective method aimed at prevention." The Nocotech, introduced to the Dutch food market four years ago, disinfects thoroughly. The dry vapour is biodegradable and safe for people and the environment. The liquid has an N-number (15012-N) from the Dutch Board for the Authorisation of Plant Protection Products and Biocides (CTGB). Robert Kostrubiec of Simpel Desinfecteren: "Disinfection by hand is a human effort and never complete. The Nocolyse-Food liquid works on the basis of hydrogen peroxide, which is converted into a dry ionised vapour. This vapour automatically disinfects all components of existing machines up to the ceilings, walls, floors and ventilation grids. Membranes of bacteria oxidise as a result, the vapour eliminates all micro-organisms." 

Thorough solution

Chan: "Our Quality Office carried out regular testing. Their reports showed that the use of Nocotech allows us to fully control the pressure of infection. We deliberately opted for a thorough solution, because we really want to avoid having to deal with uncontrollable bacteria formation, with all its consequences. At the push of a button, the Nocotech disinfects an entire room; manual disinfection is no longer necessary. The production staff carry out the process twice a day, in different rooms. Depending on the number of cubic meters, the disinfection process takes about 45 minutes. And the work can be resumed without rinsing! We can increase production without any concern for food safety. Whether the production is 100 or 1,000 rolls of bapao, we will continue to work the same way without any problems." 

www.amazingoriental.com 
www.simpeldesinfecteren.nl 

Photos: © Roel Dijkstra