Asebu Fruit Processing Factory reacts to ban on operations

Cape Coast, July 30, GNA - The General Manager of Fruits and Flavours Limited at Asebu, near Cape Coast, Mr. Letsinam Dziedzoave, on Wednesday, stated that the factory has not received any official notification from the Food and Drugs Board (FDB) that it had been banned from operating.

A publication on the front page of Wednesday July 30 issue of the 'Ghanaian Times', quoted the Board as saying it had banned the factory from operating, following the discovery of unwholesome 'fresh-taste cola drink' produced by the factory, in the Upper West Region.

Reacting to the publication in a telephone interview with the Ghana News Agency at Cape Coast, Mr. Dziedzoave, explained that about three weeks ago, one of the factory's distributors based at Wa, informed him that a batch of the drink supplied him on June 16, had "fermented". He said the distributor also informed him that FDB officials had asked that the product be withdrawn from the market, which he, the distributor, had subsequently done.

According to him, at the factory, he examined the remainder of the batch, which had been sent to the distributor, but he found nothing wrong with them.

He said, he however, sent a driver to Wa to retrieve the drinks from the distributor, but the driver came back with a note from the FDB officials that the drink, numbering 650 satchets, had been impounded. Mr, Dziedzoave, further told the GNA that officials from the Board's head office in Accra, followed up with an inspection of the factory, on July 21, during which they were shown the remainder of the batch sent to Wa.

He said they were also informed that the cause for the fermentation of the drinks sent had been detected, and that after the inspection, the FDB officials took away some samples of the drink to conduct tests.

The general manager, regretted that although the understanding was that the Board would "report back to them", after the tests, nothing had been heard from them, until the publication about the ban on the factory.

He said he has therefore, contacted the factory's representative in Accra, to get in touch with the FDB for the " clarification of the publication". More

The General Manager said nothing adverse has been found about the quality of the drinks since production started about a year ago, and that the problem with the batch found at Wa, was an isolated case. He said the factory, which has about 5,000 out-grower lime and orange farmers and more than 150 employees, also produces 'orange flavoured' drinks in satchets, alongside the cola drink for the local market, through more than 50 distributors nationwide.

For the export market, it produces lime concentrate and lime oil, and also exports lime peels from which 'pectin' is extracted for the production of jam.

The company, was established as far back as 1929 under a private ownership, then called 'L. Rose and Company. The name was later changed to Emil Ghana Limited in 1980.

It was liquidated in 1987, and was revamped in 1993, and became 'Fruits and Flavours' Limited.