Foreign Minister Commends Nestle for high quality

By Linda Asante-Agyei, GNA
Accra, April 13, GNA - The Foreign Minister, Ms Hannah Tetteh has commended Nestle Ghana for its continuous insistence on high quality and safety of its products.

'I am happy that Nestle, has over the years kept to its consistency and improved on the quality of its products by sourcing most of its raw materials like grains locally,' she said.

Ms Tetteh made the commendation when she toured the factory of Nestle Ghana in Tema.

She was accompanied by the Head of Communications and some Directors of the Ministry.

The purpose of the tour was to familiarise herself with the activities and operation of Nestle in Ghana.

The Minister described Nestle's sourcing of most of its grains from local farmers locally as very significant, developing the local supply chain.

'They have also helped in training our farmers in addressing the issues of aflatoxin, which is a big issue in Ghana years ago and even resulted in having over 50 per cent of our maize being rejected.'

This she said had reduced to less than two per cent now being rejected and that she described as a very significant achievement'.

Nestle, is currently working with the Grains Improvement Project of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to help farmers in the Northern part of the country improve on the maize production to reduce the rate of aflatoxin, which could cause cancer if consumed for a period.

She commended Nestle for its role in human resource development and pledged her Ministry's support in making their stay and working environment a conducive one.

Mrs Freda Duplan, Managing Director of Nestle Ghana, who outlined the journey of Nestle in Ghana said Nestle has come a long way and attributed the tremendous success to hard work and commitment of the workers.

She said the company is now having more demand of its products both in Ghana and in the sub- region and is working hard to meet their demands.

'Our products are well tested far beyond quality and can withstand the weather conditions as well as the supply chain and we do not compromise on quality,' she added.

The Minister was taken through the various stages of production of Nestle Products in Ghana.

Mr Joseph Walid Hbaika, Factor Manager who led the team round said the factory has a staff strength of 700 and has safety as its hall mark.

He said, though the gender ratio has more men than women, it is working hard to engage more qualified women to ensure gender parity.

Nestlé Ghana Limited started business in Ghana in 1957 under the trading name of Nestlé Products (Gh) Limited with the importation of Nestlé products such as milk and chocolates.

In 1968, it was incorporated as Food Specialties (Gh) Limited to manufacture and market locally well known Nestlé brands.

The company became Nestlé Ghana Limited in 1987. In 1971 the production of the IDEAL Milk and MILO started at the Tema Factory.

The factory has since been further developed and now also produces CARNATION milks, CHOCOLIM, CHOCOMILO CEREVITA, CERELAC and NESCAFÉ 3 in 1. These products are not only produced for Ghana but also exported across West Africa.

In 2003, Nestlé Ghana Ltd invested in a new warehouse, the Central Distribution centre, located next to the factory in Tema. The company also runs sales offices with warehouses in Kumasi, Takoradi, Koforidua and Tamale.

The business activity of Nestlé Ghana Ltd is a direct contribution to the Ghanaian economy. For all these and other endeavours, Nestlé Ghana Ltd has been recognised by Government and other bodies as a responsible citizen.

GNA