Unfit for human consumption’: Canned pilchards products recalled by manufacturer

  The manufacturing company explained that there might be a ‘canning deficiency’ and there is a possibility that some customers might have bought an affected tin. West Point Processors announced on Saturday that customers who bought pilchards in tomato sauce 400g tins recently must be returned for a refund due to the canned product being “unfit for human consumption”. “Because consumer safety is our top priority, we wish to recall some pilchards in tomato sauce products,” the company said in a statement. The manufacturing company explained that there might be…

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Rand-Air temporary generator hire a ‘power of good’ for mining companies

Many South Africans have recently experienced the frustration of mains power outages. While for the private citizen, the lack of electricity for an extended period is an inconvenience, for companies such as mining operations the consequences are much more serious. In renting generators to mines, there are two aspects to consider. First of all, there is the rental of ad hoc temporary power and secondly, and possibly more crucial, is the rental generators for mine plant shutdowns. Mining companies, in particular, with the vast sums of capital often invested in…

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Managing complex supply chains with automation and innovation

The world has drastically changed for discrete manufacturing, and only now are many organisations realising that they haven’t driven sufficient innovation in their supply chains to respond to these challenges. If asked “what do you feel is the biggest threat to manufacturing organisations in 2019?”, you might suggest any of the following: The increased need for product customisations More pressure than ever to get to market faster than the competition The logistics challenge of global supply chains It’s becoming very real for a lot of manufacturers, with rising prices for…

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Clover, Milco merger puts 657 jobs on the line

JOHANNESBURG – A total of 657 existing jobs will be on the line at Clover Industries in the next two years if the R4.8 billion merger between the JSE-listed dairy company and Israel-based Milco is approved by the Competition Tribunal. These were the final figures submitted by Clover to the tribunal yesterday as the group made additional submissions in the hearing of its proposed merger with Milco. In July, the Competition Commission recommended that the proposed large merger be approved with conditions, especially those relating to employment and local procurement. Milco…

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NESTLE EMBRACES BLOCKCHAIN TO GIVE CONSUMERS SUPPLY CHAIN VISIBILITY

The world’s largest food manufacturer Nestle is investing in supply chain transparency through a collaboration with OpenSC, a blockchain platform that allows consumers to track their food back to its source. The company, also Australia’s largest food manufacturer with six factories, is the first major food and beverage company to pilot open blockchain technology. Founded by WWF-Australia and The Boston Consulting Group Digital Ventures, the OpenSC platform provides access to independently verifiable sustainability and supply chain data. The pilot program will trace milk from farms in New Zealand to Nestle…

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Micro marketing: Retail’s new fad

How loyalty programmes are being used to design discounts just for you. PnP check-out assistants establish whether a customer has a card to swipe by enquiring ‘Smart Shopper?’ … a reply of ‘No, not a smart shopper’ means the hapless customers is conveying a not-so-subliminal message to themselves in their own voice! Image: Moneyweb   Don’t be startled if you start receiving surprisingly well targeted ‘special promotions’ via text message from your favourite retail chain. Say, for instance, you are fond of a specific brand of coffee, but instead of…

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Government master plan to make producers more competitive

JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s embattled poultry industry, which has buckled under the weight of cheap foreign imports, is set to receive a boost from a government-led master plan aimed at making local producers more competitive.The Department of Trade and Industry (dti) said yesterday that the poultry industry and the government had begun work together to open up new export markets for South African poultry. Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel said his department and that of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development had met with industry players to thrash out…

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A popular SA gin has just been bought by the French giant that owns Absolut, Chivas, and Jameson

    French liquor giant Pernod Ricard, the manufacturer of popular liquor brands such as Absolut Vodka, Chivas, and Jameson, has acquired a majority stake in South African distillery Inverroche. Inverroche, founded in 2011, is based in the rural community of Still Bay in the Western Cape, where it pioneered the use of indigenous fynbos in gin production. Founder Lorna Scott will maintain a shareholding in the business, and continue as CEO. She said the deal is a vote of confidence in South Africa’s economic prospects. “[Pernod Ricard’s] vast distribution network will…

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SA resumes beef exports to China after foot and mouth outbreak

South Africa has resumed beef exports to China after an outbreak of the highly contagious foot and mouth disease (FMD) in January halted trade, officials said on Tuesday. The ban on exports of products from cloven hoofed animals to China was officially lifted on July 23, Chinese ambassador Lin Songtian said during a briefing. The viral disease, which causes lesions and lameness in cattle and sheep, was detected in a northern district of Limpopo province, resulting in the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) temporarily suspending South Africa‘s FMD-free status. “We went to the…

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Consumer Watch: Chicken importers fight tariff hikes with facts

Domestic chicken producers and importers are sparring over tariff increases, which could see hikes of up to 82% on duties. Ultimately, those cost increases will filter down to the consumer. Now the Association of Meat Importers and Exporters (Amie) has released the findings of a comprehensive study it commissioned into the local industry, which shines new light on the impact of trade protection, domestic production and the critical role of these chicken imports. The research, commissioned from FTI Consulting, an international business advisory, indicates that implementing tariff increases on chicken…

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