By Kamaliza Kamaruddin
MARANG: Keropok (crackers) manufacturing not only depends on the right mixture of ingredients to ensure it is delicious and crisp but also requires the cleanliness of the appliances during the process.
Moreover, the main ingredient of the Terengganu’s signature dish is fish meat, which would easily invite the flies if it’s not well-prepared, and could even affect health.
In emphasising the importance of hygiene, the entrepreneur of Tok Yam’s dried crackers brand, Hawa Abd Rahman, 58, took various initiatives including by obtaining halal certificate from the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) and the certification of the ‘Food Safety is the Responsibility of the Industry’ (MeSTI) through Ministry of Health.
Hawa, who established Hamie Food Industries Sdn Bhd in 2014, makes use of the stringent controls and conditions set by the two departments as a fortress for her to be consistent in maintaining the health of her consumers.
A recent survey by Bernama found that her crackers processing and packaging factory is very clean, she even prepared special containers for the fish meat that has yet to be mixed with the sago flour.
Not only that, the appliances used were washed before and after to among others, clear the dust.
“I could not stand looking at a dirty processing area, it feels like deliberately endangering the customers. Tok Yam products have received halal certification and MeSTI recognition since 2014.
“I teach my employees to comply with the requirements set. Praise be to Allah, our factory has always become a reference point to many parties and it’s not only from the processing part, but even the machines that we used here are also rustproof,” she added.
Reminiscing the early stages of the cracker business, she uses a special recipe passed down from her late mother, Mariam Mat Zain and initially the process of making crackers was done manually.
Over time, the mother of four eventually bought some cutting machines to speed up the production process and later, her company received recognition by the government and was given assistance through various agencies.
“Praise be to Allah, gradually, our company received grants and business loans valued more than RM500,000 from Mara, we also received a machine worth RM250,000 from SME Corp, advertising grants from Terengganu Entrepreneur Development Foundation, a dryer worth RM200,000 from SIRIM and other aid from Mardi and Fama.
In addition to the grants and business loans, Hawa said, she also frequently joined various promotions organised by government agencies both locally and abroad.
“As an entrepreneur, we need to closely look at the opportunities provided by the government because there is plenty of assistance and funding provided by agencies related to entrepreneurship. This is the advice I frequently gave to those who were starting their business.
“Most importantly, the business needs to be done systematically to make it easier for the government agencies to monitor because they need to know latest developments of our company and the impact of the assistance they provided,” she said.
Traditionally, the manufacturing of dried crackers in Terengganu is carried out in several well-known traditional villages as its production centres while the drying process is fully dependent on the heat from the sunlight.
This traditional production process will be affected during the monsoon season because the crackers could not be dried for a sufficient amount of time to ensure that it is perfectly dry.
However, at the Hamie Food Industries factory, the drying process can be done all year long using the advanced technology dryers provided by SIRIM.
In addition, Hawa said the level of hygiene during the drying process was guaranteed too as there are no animals such as chickens, cats or flies at the factory that could risk contaminating Tok Yam’s dried crackers.
“So far, we have dozens of representative sellers nationwide, there are even entrepreneurs who sell our company’s crackers with their brands because it’s easier for them since our products have met the industry standards,” she added. – Bernama
