Tamara dairy chief says wrong media reports cause 40 percent slash in sales

YEREVAN, October 3. / ARKA /. The chief executive officer of Tamara dairy company said today its sales slashed by about 40 percent over the last two weeks after some local news agencies and newspapers quoted a senior member from the State Food Safety Service as saying that it had revealed that several of company’s products failed to meet microbiological parameters set by the government.

Speaking at a news conference, the chief executive, Khachatur Poghosian, said the State Food Safety Service meant in fact another company called Tamara and Ani, and the fault was found in its spread, which Tamara does not produce.

He said due to the failure of editors and the name confusion Tamara suffered large losses, however, it will not go to court to seek compensation. "We just want to make it clear for our customers that there is nothing to doubt the quality of our products,» he said. Poghosian also said that the sales are gradually recovering.

Asked to comment on the fact that the agency had revealed soda in the milk produced by Tamara and several other dairies which is ostensibly added to extend the shelf life of the products, Mr. Poghosian said it is not true because soda can not do so. 

"As a specialist, who has worked for many years in this field, I can say that adding soda to milk does not extend its shelf life. One can not either says with certainty that what the examination found was soda. Milk contains 0.7-0.8% of salts and carbonate, which can be taken for soda," he explained.

The chairwoman of the National Association of Consumers, Melita Hakobyan, said that a laboratory examination commissioned by it showed that Tamara produces high quality products. -0-