Juice contract award faces deep trouble

Topco juice drink

The controversial award of a juice contract to Surinamese company Rudisa could be in deep trouble as the Government Analyst Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD) was unable to do a vital test because of broken equipment and no sample from the aggrieved local bidder, Topco was provided for comparison.

Head of the Government Analyst Food and Drug Department Marlan Cole told Stabroek News that had a sample from Tropical Orchard Products (Topco) been provided, it would have come out ahead of the other boxes tested because of its natural juice content.

Topco, which is a subsidiary of Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) is one of two bidders that have