LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Nutricom Food and Beverages Limited, the country’s leading manufacturer of health drinks including Kombucha juice, has dismissed social media reports stating that the product has lost taste to a watery mouth feel due to deformed bottles.
This comes into notice as Kombucha in deformed bottles has been observed on the Malawi market, which raised speculations that the company was also sold.?
In an interview with The Malawi Post on Wednesday, August 9, 2023, Nutricom’s owner, Raj Munnangi, explained the process of making Kombucha and ruled out any misconceptions that are circulating about the product and the company.
He added that it is simply impossible to lose taste and mouthfeel because of the company’s comprehensive manufacturing and health guidelines, strict quality control checks, and highest standards in fermentation and packaging procedures.
Raj emphasized the need for consumers to understand how Kombucha is made and how proper storage is the key to keeping the product intact.
“The bottle deformity that you see sometimes is because of the excess carbonation produced by the product when kept in a hot environment like directly under the sun for a long time or because of the hot and poor storage conditions in the retail stores.
“Bottle deformity does not alter the nutrient content of the product in any form. Regardless of the bottle shape, the product is still healthy as usual and provides the consumer with the same freshness, the same probiotics, and the same health benefits,” he added.
Munnangi explains further, “Extended exposure to the sun gives Kombucha more fizz like champagne hence you see more bubbles popping out of the bottle. The sound, fizz, and crisp taste are all the result of carbonation.
“Kombucha remains a healthy juice made from tea and mushroom culture (SCOBY: Symbiotic Colony Of Bacteria and Yeast) and is said to help the liver to work efficiently, improve digestion, and fight insomnia, colitis, and burn fats”.
Studies have proven that the drink is extremely popular with people with cholesterol and diabetes.
Kombucha promotes healthy liver function by removing toxins and destroying free radicals.
Also, the drink is known to have anti-microbial/anti-fungal properties all while being chemopreventive.
Literature shows that Kombucha has been researched in laboratories all over the world from China, India, Serbia, Russia, Germany, Tunisia, Egypt, Iran, Korea, and beyond.
“The juice is purely a soft drink however due to natural fermentation, there are slight traces of alcohol in decimal percentages,” says Raj.
Raj adds further, “All over the world, people are becoming health conscious and are moving away from drinking sugary beverages. Developed countries are struggling with a lot of health issues like obesity, diabetes, BP, and many others. Most of these problems circle back to unhealthy food habits.”
“Incorporating Kombucha into a regular diet may help improve metabolism and reduce sugar load on the body. Kombucha offers the public a really good alternative that is refreshing to drink and yet offers many health benefits. We at Nutricom continuously strive to provide healthy choices to our consumers”.
Echoing the same, Malawi’s music legendary Lucius Banda testifies on Kombucha, “I have been taking Kombucha for years now. It’s a healthy and nutritious energy drink for patients with diabetes”.
NutriCom is an example of a local company that is adding value to the country’s agricultural produce, an industry that has been lacking for quite some time while maintaining a motto of “Keep Africa Healthy”.
Nutricom manufactures Kombucha Juice, Ginger Kombucha, Rosemary health juice, and Malambe juice drinks, which are certified by the Malawi Bureau of Standards (MB).
Apart from Malawi, Nutricom’s Kombucha is also being manufactured in Zambia and Tanzania.
