Appletiser SA, the wholly owned subsidiary of Coca Cola Beverages SA (CCBSA) produces 59% of all Tiser products for domestic and global distribution at a plant in Elgin. The plant is set to almost double annual production by October as a result of its integration into the CCBSA supply chain.

Following the merger in 2016 of the non-alcoholic ready to drink bottling operations of The Coca-Cola Company, SABMiller plc and Gutsche Family Investments, Appletiser is committed to maintaining procurement from South Africa of at least 80% of apples, pears, grapes and similar fruit inputs used for juice concentrate used in Tiser products. Currently all apple and pear concentrate is sourced from South Africa, with grape concentrate increasingly sourced locally, depending on availability and affordability of supply.

Since the time of the merger in May 2016, Appletiser’s contractual obligations in terms of local procurement of grapes used for juice concentrate for Grapetiser has increased significantly from 11% to 43%. This percentage will continue to increase in the next few years as agreed with the Competition Tribunal.

Source: BizNis Africa

BAHAMAS     Budget tariff cuts by the Bahamas government could jeopardise Caribbean Bottling’s $500,000 investment in the July launch of a new juice drink line. President and chief executive Walter Wells, said that while a last-minute tariff revision by the government was “better than it being zero”, manufacturers like himself required continued policy support.

The government reacting to opposition from Caribbean Bottling and other local juice drink manufacturers, revised their plans to eliminate the 60% duty rate on imports by cutting the rate in half to 30%. Mr Wells said that there had been no consultation or warning from the Government over the proposed juice drink tariff elimination, and revealed that it would have had had an adverse effect impact on the company’s expansion plans. “There are significant costs we have to pay and cover before we put a single bottle or can on the shelf in the Bahamas.”

“We are launching what we call Fruit Coolers, Minute Maid Fruit Coolers; four flavours. We had already invested around $500,000 to launch this.” Mr Wells said Caribbean Bottling had 200 employees, similar to other manufacturers. He questioned whether the Bahamas wanted to lose these jobs, and the money locally-produced products kept in the economy, through ill-considered government policy.

Source: Bahamas Tribune

CANADA   The Canadian government has announced an investment in the Greenhouse Juice Company of up to CAD6.3 million to equip their Mississauga facility with the latest cold pateurisation technologies which will increase the shelf life of the company’s organic juices whilst maintaining freshness and nutrition. Canada’s food and beverage sector is seen by the government as “an important driver of economic growth in Canada.” The investment enables Greenhouse Juice to expand into their new Mississauga facility, generating hundreds of job opportunities in the region. Importantly with the facility expansion and the adoption of the cold-pateurisation technology, Greenhouse Juice will purchase significantly more Canadian-grown fruits and vegetables, and produce juice for both Canadian and international markets.

“The expansion here in Mississauga is great news for Ontario, and our Government is committed to making investments in innovative businesses that help create jobs and grow the economy,” said Navdeep Bains, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development. “This technology represents a new way forward in Canadian food processing that will help bring fresh, high quality products to consumers and new jobs to Mississauga.”

Source: Insuaga.com

PAKISTAN   The PFA sealed a Juice factory in Lahore’s Manga Mandi for producing sub-standard juice and then disposed of about 4,000 kilogrammes of prepared pulp that had been made ready for making the juice. This was followed by another factory being sealed at Kasur where the PFA seized about 35,000 litres of prepared juice and 45,000 litres of pulp.

Punjab Food Minister Bilal Yasin detailing the activity revealed that the factory workers were using chemicals to increase the quantity of the pulp. The minister also stated that the factory had been sealed in the past as well for the same reason, but it reopened after the factory owner promised to improve the quality of the juice, which he did not.

PFA director Rafia Haider stated that the factory workers were ‘using textile colours to prepare substandard juices’. To make matters worse according to medical examinations, many of the factory workers were found to be suffering from hepatitis, which is a serious breach of food safety regulations.

Source: Daily Pakistan