PIRACY OF SOFTDRINKS SYRUPS

WHAT ARE SOFT DRINKS SYRUPS?

Many pubs, bars and other cateringoutlets dispense soft drinks throughpostmix equipment using aconcentrated syrup supplied by themanufacturer. The equipment mixesthe syrup with carbonated water atthe point of sale to create thefinished drink.

It has the following advantages over the supplyof soft drinks in cans and bottles:

• Takes up less space in the bar and in thestorage area

• Requires less transportation

• Uses less packaging and so createsless waste

The dispense equipment is normally owned by thesoft drink manufacturers and provided free on loanto the retail outlet. Less often, the outlet rents orowns the equipment itself. The manufacturerprovides engineering and service support to theretail outlet, and supplies the syrups for the softdrinks. The retail outlet is responsible for day-to-daycleaning and operation: the manufacturer will laydown strict hygiene and operating procedures tobe followed.

The syrup is supplied in a bag-in-box package whichis connected to the dispense equipment. The designof most dispense systems permits several differentsyrup bags to be connected offering a range of softdrinks, e.g. cola, diet cola, lemonade, orangeade.

Piracy occurs when a different syrup is substitutedfor the brand supplied by the manufacturer. Theconsumer sees only the equipment and the glass and not the syrup bag, so will not easily be able todetect it.

There are severalreasons why piracy is athreat:• Trade Descriptions Act – the customer is

not getting the product paid for

• Food Safety Act – substitute syrups will notbe made according to the samemanufacturing standards

• Food Labelling Regulations – theingredients in the drink must correspondwith those listed on the box

• System contamination – re-used syrupbags are impossible to clean completely

• Allergies/dietary requirements – wronglylabelled products could have seriousimplications for diabetics and people withphenylketonuria (PKU)

• Consumer expectations – a substitutesyrup will produce a drink of inferiorquality

• Impact on legitimate retailers’ businesses –pirated syrups are cheaper and so give anunfair advantage in the marketplace

There is a range ofsigns which mayindicate pirating. Theseinclude:• Unbranded bag-in-box on system – each

box should carry the branding of themanufacturer

• Non-standard couplings for branded syrups– each manufacturer has its own patentedcoupling to connect the bag to thedispense equipment, which should fitperfectly

• Reused / tampered with syrup bags – asyrup bag is made of plastic or foil andmeant to be used only once; if it appearsto be leaking, it may have been refilled

• Incorrect branding – forged boxes havebeen discovered in the past

• Full boxes with broken seals – operatingprocedures specify that boxes should beopened only when needed

• Non-standard Brix – this suggests that thesyrup has not been made according to themanufacturer’s own recipe

• Inducements for empty boxes – used boxesare intended to be destroyed, as they haveno value to anyone

• Used syrup bags or boxes not disposed of– used syrup bags and boxes are litter andought to be disposed of immediately,rather than kept for some other purpose

• Box past its best before date – boxes aresupplied as needed and so should not goout of life

Contact the Public Affairs Department at BSDA – telephone 020 7405 0300 or publicaffairs@britishsoftdrinks.com. You will then be put in touch with the staff at relevant manufacturer who can assist with the following:

• Confirm details of the customer account

• Advise on how to collect a syrup sample,providing a device to extract syrup throughthe one-way valve on the bag

• Comment on the results of any analyticalsampling

Pirated syrups are often distributed over awide area – BSDA can advise if pirating hasbeen reported in neighbouring areas.

If a prosecution is brought, BSDA can helpwith press relations if requested, so that thedeterrent effect of a single conviction can bemagnified many times.

WHY IS PIRACYA PROBLEM?

HOW TO SPOTPIRATING

IF PIRATING ISSUSPECTED

Printed and published by British Soft Drinks Association Ltd, 20-22 Bedford Row, London WC1R 4EB. 2008.

For more information about the soft drinks industry, please contact the Public Affairs Department, British Soft Drinks Association, 20-22 Bedford Row, London WC1R 4EB, tel 020 7405 0300,bsda@britishsoftdrinks.com,www.britishsoftdrinks.com

FOR MOREINFORMATION