Imagine my surprise when I opened screenshots this morning to find my favourite drink, Ribena - well, the manufacturers, really - being labeled a liar, much like us Malaysian bloggers. Sheesh... I thougt I had to investigate, as Aishah, Khadijah and I love the stuff! I even promo the stuff when people say I don't look my age, "It's the Ribena dude..." would be my immediate reply.
From www.gsk.com.my:Ribena was first made in the 30s using blackcurrants and has since become one of the most popular drinks around today. During World War II, it was used as a dietary supplement for Vitamin C.
Ribena now comes in a variety of flavours, but blackcurrant is without a doubt everyone’s favourite and contains four times as much vitamin C as oranges. It is a natural beverage containing no artificial flavour, colouring or sweeteners. In fact Ribena ToothKind, which was launched in 1998, is the only drink accredited by the British Dental Association and has been proven to help maintain healthy teeth.
History to the case: A group of schoolgirls on a science project discovered that the content of Vitamin C in Ribena was untraceable. Reuters story here.
So I located a Ms Azariah Tahir of GSK (GlaxoSmithKline) in Malaysia; I called, she was engaged but I left a number. But Azariah called within 5 minutes, and we spoke.
Azariah said the case Jeff Ooi was referring to on his blog screenshots was a case strictly isolated to Ribena products in New Zealand AND AUSTRALIA (which is information we didn't know at that point).
She assured me that Malaysian Ribena products which are manufactured here in Malaysia "contain the Vitamin C contents that is claimed on the labels".
Azariah's statement matches that of a spokesperson quoted in the Reuters report:
"GSK has conducted thorough laboratory testing of Vitamin C levels in Ribena in all other markets," the spokeswoman said.
"This testing has confirmed that Ribena drinks in all other markets, including the UK, contain the stated levels of Vitamin C, as described on product labels
This is reassuring to know as I must admit that I would not expect such a case to happen in consumer-driven and consumer-sensitive markets like Australia. This is a country where you cannot bring in opened cans of baby formula when you fly in for god's sake!
And they get hoodwinked by a multi-national no less!
But the core issue now is that it raises some concern on how consumers can be hoodwinked. How sure can you be sure that the claimed content is as claimed? Should there be a body that takes this crusade? Is there such a body? Is the Ministry of Domestic Trade & Consumer Affairs on to this?
Meanwhile, a source told me that the advertisements in Australia and New Zealand has been withdrawn since, and that they will no longer make refeence to the VitC content. Err... what's your USP again?
While she was on the phone, I asked her about the Halal certification of the Ribena products from the Philippines, after a brou-ha-ha over the case some months back.
Azariah said:
"JAKIM has made some amendments to their requirements. You see, the Philippine Ribena is certified Halal by the Islamic Council of Philippines (ICP), and the ICP is listed on the JAKIM website as an affiliate of the Malaysian authority".
I asked on whether GSK Malaysia will still seek the JAKIM certificate.
"It's not necessary anymore. JAKIM said it is not necessary as ICP is affiliated to them."
Works for me.
But for the New Zealand market, opinions say that consumers may yet have the final say despite the fine imposed on the New Zealand company for making false accusations on the VitC content and the comparo on VitC content between oranges and blackcurrants.
NOTE: AZARIAH WILL ISSUE A STATEMENT TO ME; I WILL ADD THIS VERBATIM UPON RECEIPT.
From www.gsk.com.my:Ribena was first made in the 30s using blackcurrants and has since become one of the most popular drinks around today. During World War II, it was used as a dietary supplement for Vitamin C.
Ribena now comes in a variety of flavours, but blackcurrant is without a doubt everyone’s favourite and contains four times as much vitamin C as oranges. It is a natural beverage containing no artificial flavour, colouring or sweeteners. In fact Ribena ToothKind, which was launched in 1998, is the only drink accredited by the British Dental Association and has been proven to help maintain healthy teeth.
History to the case: A group of schoolgirls on a science project discovered that the content of Vitamin C in Ribena was untraceable. Reuters story here.
So I located a Ms Azariah Tahir of GSK (GlaxoSmithKline) in Malaysia; I called, she was engaged but I left a number. But Azariah called within 5 minutes, and we spoke.
Azariah said the case Jeff Ooi was referring to on his blog screenshots was a case strictly isolated to Ribena products in New Zealand AND AUSTRALIA (which is information we didn't know at that point).
She assured me that Malaysian Ribena products which are manufactured here in Malaysia "contain the Vitamin C contents that is claimed on the labels".
Azariah's statement matches that of a spokesperson quoted in the Reuters report:
"GSK has conducted thorough laboratory testing of Vitamin C levels in Ribena in all other markets," the spokeswoman said.
"This testing has confirmed that Ribena drinks in all other markets, including the UK, contain the stated levels of Vitamin C, as described on product labels
This is reassuring to know as I must admit that I would not expect such a case to happen in consumer-driven and consumer-sensitive markets like Australia. This is a country where you cannot bring in opened cans of baby formula when you fly in for god's sake!
And they get hoodwinked by a multi-national no less!
But the core issue now is that it raises some concern on how consumers can be hoodwinked. How sure can you be sure that the claimed content is as claimed? Should there be a body that takes this crusade? Is there such a body? Is the Ministry of Domestic Trade & Consumer Affairs on to this?
Meanwhile, a source told me that the advertisements in Australia and New Zealand has been withdrawn since, and that they will no longer make refeence to the VitC content. Err... what's your USP again?
While she was on the phone, I asked her about the Halal certification of the Ribena products from the Philippines, after a brou-ha-ha over the case some months back.
Azariah said:
"JAKIM has made some amendments to their requirements. You see, the Philippine Ribena is certified Halal by the Islamic Council of Philippines (ICP), and the ICP is listed on the JAKIM website as an affiliate of the Malaysian authority".
I asked on whether GSK Malaysia will still seek the JAKIM certificate.
"It's not necessary anymore. JAKIM said it is not necessary as ICP is affiliated to them."
Works for me.
But for the New Zealand market, opinions say that consumers may yet have the final say despite the fine imposed on the New Zealand company for making false accusations on the VitC content and the comparo on VitC content between oranges and blackcurrants.
NOTE: AZARIAH WILL ISSUE A STATEMENT TO ME; I WILL ADD THIS VERBATIM UPON RECEIPT.
Comments
nothing like a nice cold bottle of sparkling ribena on a hot afternoon..
Vic