As doctors vow to ‘first do no harm’, food manufacturers have always been responsible to ensure that the products they put to market at the very least do no harm to the health of those who consume them. After all, no consumer will buy a product that makes them ill more than once.

In addition, consumers today are far more serious about their health and increasingly opt for foodstuffs that will add real nutritional value to their diets, often choosing fresh over processed foods.

The new Consumer Protection Act and labelling legislation force us as manufacturers to be honest about what we are selling and take responsibility for the entire value chain – literally, from farm to fork (or in our case, mostly spoons). We can no longer fail to deliver what we promise, even where failure to do so is out of our control.

This edition of Milk & Juice therefore takes a closer look at the issue of food safety and package integrity, as well as the new labelling legislation.

We bring some news on the latest research earmarked as important to the South African dairy industry, find out what is happening overseas and also look at some interesting international findings on the nutritional aspects of dairy products.

Finally, we include some of the latest industry news, a round-up of the Africa Big 7 expo and economic consumer trends.

With summer on our doorstep and dairy now officially good for you, we hope you indulge in the fruits of your own labour.

Gilla Brunt
AB7 2011 a hive of local and international offering
by Fidelis Zvomuya

This year's Africa Big Seven (AB7) exhibition recorded the best attendance ever in its 10-year history. The composite food and beverage trade show, the biggest on the African continent, attracted exhibitors and visitors from 54 countries, with a visitor total of 8 518, 11% more than in 2010.

According to John Thomson, managing director of Exhibition Management Services, organisers of AB7, 94% of visitors felt that the show was of value to the retail trade and had established valuable new business contacts.

He also said that almost all visitors indicated they would attend again in 2012, while 96% said they would recommend the show to their business colleagues. “That’s very positive for us and very encouraging for the South African economy.”

The list of foreign companies, including many from the African continent, participating in AB7 continues to grow with each year. This year’s event saw companies from Brazil, Malaysia, China, Japan, Indonesia, the Ukraine, Thailand and Iran exhibiting, while visitors arrived from many other countries.

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In brief

Local News

New and ‘green’
Coega Dairy will be opening its state-of-the-art, energy efficient dairy processing plant soon, which is set to give a much needed economic boost to the Eastern Cape.

Coega Dairy (Pty) Ltd is owned by the Coega Milk Producers’ Organisation (CDMPO), which is in turn owned by 13 commercial dairy farmers. The company is investing R175 million over four years, starting with an initial investment of approximately R50 million to tool and operate the plant in the 3 956m2 building in the Coega Industrial Development Zone (IDZ) at Coega-harbour. The plant is expected to create 754 indirect jobs, 200 farm jobs, 70 operational jobs and 50 construction jobs.

The idea was conceived by a group of dairy farmers during 2010, to ensure that farmers have a secure outlet for their milk, whilst protecting the beautiful Eastern Cape countryside.
In order to increase the positive economic impact in the Eastern Cape, ownership of Coega Dairy will be modified by 2012, when shareholding will be expanded to include Coega Empowerment Trust, a body which shall include selected previously disadvantaged community commercial dairy projects, black factory employees of Coega Dairy, as well as the dairy farm labourers who are employed by the commercial dairy farms that are shareholders in the project.

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