Latest news with #Motaz
Business News Wales
20-05-2025
- Business
- Business News Wales
Ingredient Manufacturer Secures New Customers Thanks to Technical Support
A Cardiff-based ingredient manufacturer has secured new wholesale customers thanks to technical support delivered through the Welsh Government's HELIX Programme. Aromada, which produces a range of mirror glazes, jams and jellies that are supplied to the baking industry, secured SALSA food safety certification following support from ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre at Cardiff Metropolitan University. Founded by Samir Bougaci and Motaz Dadou in 2019, Aromada combines the pair's experience in ingredient manufacture and luxury patisserie. Motaz previously worked in development for a European ingredient manufacturer whilst Samir is a trained baker who also owns a Cardiff-based celebration cake company. To grow their business, Samir and Motaz decided that they would need to secure SALSA certification. SALSA is one of the most widely recognised food safety certification schemes in the UK and it enables smaller manufacturers to demonstrate that they are operating to industry-recognised food safety standards. As neither Samir nor Motaz had experience of SALSA certification, they approached the food safety experts at ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre for support through the HELIX Programme. The Welsh Government funded programme provides funded technical support to Welsh food and drink companies. Working closely with a ZERO2FIVE technologist, Aromada were mentored to develop their food safety management procedures and paperwork in line with the requirements of SALSA. This included areas such as cleaning, pest control, traceability, incident management, labelling and product shelf-life. ZERO2FIVE also delivered a range of bespoke training on subjects including the HACCP approach to food safety, allergen management and supplier approval. Aromada successfully passed their SALSA audit in January 2025 and securing this certification has opened up much bigger wholesale markets for the company, both in Wales and across the UK. The company has already secured an order from BAKO Wales, a co-operative that supplies bakery ingredients across Wales. Samir Bougaci, Director, Aromada, said: 'We're incredibly grateful to ZERO2FIVE for their invaluable support throughout our journey. Their guidance with our hygiene paperwork and their expert assistance were key in helping us achieve our SALSA certification. Their team was always approachable, knowledgeable, and truly committed to our success – we genuinely couldn't have done it without them.' Professor David Lloyd, Director of ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre, said: 'Food safety certification schemes like SALSA are important to many manufacturers as they are often required to become a supplier of national and regional retailers, wholesalers and foodservice providers. If you're interested in securing certification for your company, then I encourage you to get in touch to find out more about the funded support which we can offer.'
Express Tribune
15-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Macklemore reunites with Motaz Azaiza
American rapper Macklemore met up with Palestinian photojournalist Motaz Azaiza in Qatar on Friday as the two geared up for the annual Match for Hope in Doha. "Guess who is here?" Motaz wrote under a reel shared to Instagram. The rapper wore a keffiyeh, surrounded by a small group. "Macklemore with his Palestinian brothers and sisters who were evacuated from Gaza to Doha. Thank you, Ben, for your love and being on the right side of history. We'll never forget it," Motaz wrote. Taking to the comments section, the rapper - also known as Benjamin Hammond Haggerty - responded, "So much love brother. Thank you for having me." The Match of Hope is a sports initiative involving football stars, celebrities, and influencers, who participate to raise money for education in Palestine, Sudan, Mali, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Pakistan, as per The Sun. An avid supporter of the Palestinian cause, Macklemore performed his 2024 song Hind's Hall. The protest song was produced in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle against genocide. Through the lyrics, the 41-year-old rapper calls for a ceasefire as he lists the atrocities that Israel is subjecting Palestine to. Motaz, who arrived early to the stadium, shared snippets of the performance on Instagram Stories. Ending the spam with a picture of the duo, he wrote, "Thank you for coming, dear Ben. Hopefully, one day I can bring you into Gaza." Before this reunion, the two last met in October. From expressing his thoughts on social media to raising the flag during concerts, Macklemore has been consistently vocal about his support for Palestine. In September, he faced backlash for saying "f*** America" during a pro-Palestinian benefit concert held in Seattle. Following up with a statement shared to Instagram, he wrote, "Unfortunately, the historic event in my hometown that brought thousands of people together to raise awareness and money for the people of Palestine has been overshadowed by two words." The Thrift Shop singer clarified that his words don't always translate well and that he's prone to slipping up when caught up in the moment. However, he always strives to lead with love in order to bring people together. "I wish I had been in a better place with my grief and anger. But the truth is, I'm not okay," he wrote. "I have been disillusioned and disheartened as our government has continued to unequivocally fund and support Israel's ongoing violence against the people of Palestine. I don't think I'm alone."
