Kgalagadi Breweries Limited (KBL), the country’s leading brewer jumped to the challenge as it introduced a world class technology that┬á significantly boost the safety and product quality of its produce in a bid to protect its customers.
The┬ácompany has acquired┬áa P 9.2 million cutting edge hygienic Empty Bottle Inspector (EBI) system┬áhas been described as┬á “critical performance indicator”┬á which exceeds industry common standards for quality, efficacy and reliability for inspection of both returnable and non-returnable bottles.
┬áThe developments have been praised┬á by KBL Managing Director, Hloni Matsela saying┬á they “are highly excited and impressed by the performance of our new EBI system and what it signifies for consumer safety and product quality.”
The EBI is to inspect the quality of bottles that are to be filled with beverages so that bottles with cracks, defects or foreign objects can be rejected in time from the production line. Further, the system ensures that bottles of different height and or size and those in wrong shape do not reach the consumer.
Prior to introduction of the EBI system bottles used along the production line were inspected manually by Sighters whose sole responsibility was to identify bottles for any defects or foreign objects and separate them from those that had to be filled.
 
 
The P 9.2 million cost of the newly introduced electronic bottle inspector system has been split into P 5 million for the Soft Drinks Plant and the P 4.2 million for the Beer Division.
 
 
“The good thing now is that EBI system performs these functions faster and more accurately than manual sighting, particularly since bottles travel at a high speed along the production line, which makes it a hassle for the human eye to easily distinguish,” the company said.
 
The most declared advantage derived from the installation of the Empty Bottle Inspector system has been that it totally eliminates any chances of foreign objects contaminating the beer and other beverage products.
 
┬áMatsela┬á further vowed that KBL we will not hesitate or avoid any cost of recalling products that do not meet the company’s high standards and expectations in the interest of┬á consumer health and safety.┬á
“For KBL, sustainability revolves around placing consumer safety and care as number one priority in all its operations.
“Despite the fact that the food and beverages industry is highly competitive and tightly regulated, KBL has taken the lead in taking measures to protect consumers from any products deemed sub-standard products and processes that may pose a risk to customers and consumers,” he added.
