TALLINN - The chief executive of a top Estonian beverage company has denied accusations from Latvian competitors that Estonian juice producers are bent on controlling juices imported from the neighboring Baltic country.
Tarmo Noop, CEO of A Le Coq Tartu Olletehas (Tartu Brewery), the largest fruit juice maker in Estonia, said Latvian fruit juice makers' charge that Estonians want control over the Latvian juice makers' products in order to protect their own turf was incomprehensible.
"Estonian fruit juice makers have never applied for mass control of Latvian juice makers," said Noop. He said that Estonian producers have more than once stated that the future of fruit juices in the Baltic countries looks optimistic.
Noop said all Baltic fruit juice makers are members of the European juice quality organization, and the last to join it were Gutta and Cido of Latvia and Poltsmaa and Largo of Estonia.
"Membership in that organization ensures constant control," Noop said.
The April 14 issue of the Dienas Bizness daily in Latvia wrote that Estonian juice makers wanted to establish more control over Latvian-made juices sold in Estonia, referring to their poor quality.
Latvian juice exporters are convinced that this is a measure to protect the market and are in turn applying for quality control of Estonian fruit juices in Latvia, the paper reported.
Noop admitted that an agreement on certain principles of controlling the Estonian juice market had been agreed on between three major juice makers, the Consumers' Union and the Food Industry Association. In accordance with these principles, all juices, including those of our own producers, undergo a control check once or twice a year.
