Pepsi bottling company in quality breach storm

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By Kudakwashe Vhenge

Local Pepsi drink bottlers, Varun Beverages Zimbabwe Limited (VBZL) have been implicated in standards quality breach raising health scare to consumers of the soft drink beverage.

This publication is reliably informed that in several incidents, the soft drink beverage has been found laced with urine during packaging at the company’s plant in Harare.

A worker who talked to this reporter on condition of anonymity for fear of victimization made reference to an incident which took place on the 16th of June 2020 in which a steel case on line number one constituting about 12 600 preforms (bottles) were found with urine possibly having been urinated by a disgruntled worker.

The information leaked from an official WhatsApp group of the management which was created by the production manager, Vikas Chandra an Indian national.

It is alleged that this is not the first time this has happened and inadequate measures have been put in place to resolve this irregularity thereby questioning the sincerity of the quality standardization at the manufacturing plant.

The beverage manufacturing giant is also accused of dispatching sub-standard products unfit for consumption to secluded parts of the country.

“Poor quality products are being made to go to remote areas particularly Nyika growth point in Masvingo Province under the instruction of the quality manager, Rajeev Pandey” revealed the source.

When contacted for comment, Pepsi public relations and corporate affairs manager, Fungai Murahwa dismissed the claims saying they have surveillance cameras on the entire property and their containers go through robust cleaning when packaging.

“This is not possible due to our 24 hour camera surveillance of the entire property. Secondly as a basic procedure, our preforms go through a robust cleaning process before going into production,” he said.

On the issue of substandard products being made to go remote areas, Murahwa highlighted that the company has an audit processes that are conducted by Pepsi Co without prior warning in all towns and remote province throughout the country.

Pepsi Company which is owned by Indian Billionaire Ravi Jaipuria made headlines last week following protests from their employees against racism, human rights abuses and unfair labor practices.

According to protestors, the company has seen only Indian nationals occupying top management posts and getting their remuneration in US$ whilst the majority of locals who do general and low ranking jobs are rewarded a paltry salary in RTGS$.