Use both sides of the dropl
by Fidelis Zvomuya

As worries about water use move higher up the global agenda, the massive quantities of water poured into the production of juices and other beverages makes the industry a highly visible example of a thirsty sector.

According to water experts, a glass of orange juice, for example, needs 850ℓ of fresh water to produce, while it takes roughly 75,7ℓ of water to make a pint of beer and as much as 500ℓ of water to make a 2ℓ bottle of soda.

However, the vast majority of the water the sector consumes is used not in its factories or bottling plants, but in the fields, where ingredients like fruits, sugar, barley and tea are grown.

South Africa faces a water crisis and could start having critical shortages as early as 2020, experts warn. Former water affairs director general and visiting professor at the Wits University Graduate School of Public and Development Management, Mike Muller, says: “A crisis is looming. If we don’t panic now and take action, we will be in a crisis by 2020.”

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Improved quality means better business

Quality is always the result of high intention and skilful execution.

Consider the following quotations:

1. “Quality is too important to leave to the professionals.”

2. “People still probe continually to measure the depth of top management commitment.”

3. “The results of communication are real and long lasting; the results of motivating people are shallow and short-lived.”

4. “Quality leadership is based on the realisation that quality is the customer’s determination today, not a marketing man’s determination or an engineer’s or general manager’s.”

5. “Quality cannot be inspected into a product, but must be built in.”

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SA grapes again hit by heavy rain

Grape growers in South Africa have again suffered from heavy rainfall. This has not been an easy season for growers, especially in the Orange River Region, where the season started off with inconsistent sugar levels, then in mid December the rain caused problems for the early varieties and almost 100mm fell at the turn of the year.

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Locally pressed fruit juice hits home

Wilde’s range of pure pressed fruit juice recently entered the North American market to rave reviews. Wilde contains only fruit juice with no preservatives or added sugar. Their juices are all made from fruit grown in the Western Cape, which is then processed in an ultra-modern facility to allow most of the nutrients to remain in the juice. Before packaging, the juice is pasteurised, which means that it does not need to be refrigerated to be transported worldwide. The juice is then packed into Elopak cartons as one of the first long life South African fruit juice brands with an extended shelf life of up to 12months outside the cold chain.

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