Soda, the eco-friendly Hungarian national product
By the appearance of
mineral water the distribution of soda has dropped by 50%, so 10
thousand employees are about to lose their jobs. `The supply services, the
layout and the machines should be modernized while we must insist on
the traditions.`- say the owners of micro soda firms which use
refillable bottles in a very high percentage.
`The national soda industry based on natural hot springs could be a well classified feature of Hungary` according to the experts dealing with this issue. This could also be the base of the other background industries using natural hot springs.
`Soda is a product which meets the requirements of our time. It does not contain preservatives and its consumption does not lead to obesity.` That is how the 200-year old soda is described by Laszlo Deak chairman of the Corporation of National Soda Makers.
The members of this alliance are mostly family members of small family run businesses which create about 10 000 jobs in about 1500 soda factories.
Hard work made livelihood is now endangered by the newly appeared cheap range of mineral water in the supermarkets, which are bottled in disposable plastic bottles. Customers` habits have also changed over the years. As for the alcohol-free beverages mineral water is in the first place. 68% of the Hungarian adults choose this to drink the most. According to a survey in the Hungarian households an average of two bottles of mineral water is consumed a month. Altogether it makes 20 billion HUF per year. On the list of the most popular beverages fruit juice has the second place (67%), soda is the third (56%), followed by pops (54%) and squash (40%).
I have been noticing this 50% fall of soda consumption in the last 2-3 years - says István Bánffi the chairman of Banffi soda and adds that the income is less and less as well. The revival of the traditional sale, the home delivery could be a solution to the micro firms. Although delivery requires a high quality labour and working capacity, it is highly recommended/essential in order to stop losing customers.
`The supply services, the layout and the machines should be updated while we must insist on our traditions`. That is the reason why we do not find colourful and flavoured types of soda.
This product can be considered a national heritage - says Laszlo Deak, and the representatives of this issue are willing to do and will do everything in order to meet the requirements.
However, sometimes, firm owners think that the regulations and the conditions are far too strict, which is strange in case of a 200-year old product.
The survival of soda can also be promoted by the change of attitude of customers says Peter Rab soda maker. In his opinion it is worth updating the look of the refilled bottles, because bottles sell better if they look new and do not have scratches on. As for the appearance, nowadays, the disposable ones are in favour, but the progress of the environmental protection favours the soda makers. Laszlo Deak said, that it is the soda industry, which uses recyclable packing materials in the biggest proportion. So, in this branch soda making goes together with environmental protection and not with pollution.