Voltic Ghana Limited, producers of Voltic Natural Mineral Water, has organised a media tour of its Nyame Ani Plant in Kumasi.

The purpose of the tour was for a selected group of the media in Ashanti to familiarise themselves with production processes of the plant.

The exercise, which was led by Mr. Raymond Mensah Gbetivi, Quality Assurance Manager of Voltic (GH) Limited, took the form of a guided tour of the plant.

Prior to embarking on the plant tour, the Quality Assurance Manager explained the processing stages from the boreholes, various filtration and purification stages, packaging and storage, to the team. He educated the journalists on significant difference between purified municipal water and purified natural mineral water.

He said Voltic Natural Mineral water belongs to the purified natural mineral water category. This, according to him, was born out of the fact that the product is naturally filtered and purified through processes -- without addition of chemicals or additives -- from two borehole sources.

The boreholes sources are each 60 metres below ground level. The aquifer is rich in minerals such as Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Nitrate, Sulphate, Potassium etc.

Mechanised boreholes are constructed to draw raw water from the aquifer for filtration, purification and packaging, making Voltic, a real natural mineral water.”

Mr. Gbetivi added that: “It is wrongly believed that one can adopt the water treatment system used by one water producer for another.

However, this is not the case; a good water treatment system is the one that considers and incorporates adequate controls to address the shortfalls of the source water quality to meet the unique needs of consumers.”

Voltic (GH) Limited is currently the only packaged water company in Ghana issued with a HACCP Certificate by the Food and Drugs Board (FDB).

A few other companies in Ghana have also been issued with HACCP Certificates by the FDB. The issue of the certificate to Voltic (GH) Limited was preceded by a training course organised through the Industrial Support Services Programme (ISSP) of the Food and Drugs Board. The programme also supported the installation and audit of the HACCP system.

The voluntary adoption of HACCP by Voltic Ghana Limited has a great potential to increase its local market share of products, as HACCP positions the company above all other packaged water producer and assures a safer and a better quality product from the company. The HACCP system also allows access of the packaged water from Voltic (GH) Limited into the international market.

HACCP builds confidence in product safety, which is translated into confidence of patrons and producers alike in the product. Less consumer complaints and reduced regulatory visits to production premises are also assured.