PepsiCo Names Sunsweet Growers Hot Fill Co-packer of the Year for 2008

PepsiCo named Sunsweet Growers, Inc. as its 2008 Hot Fill Co-packer of the Year for outstanding achievements in quality and effectiveness across PepsiCo's beverage supply chain. This marks the second consecutive year Sunsweet has received the award. In 2007 Sunsweet's Yuba City facility was honored, and now in 2008 the award was given to Sunsweet's Fleetwood, PA facility. Pepsi presented the award to Sunsweet on April 8, 2009 during an awards ceremony held at the production facility in Fleetwood.Sunsweet, which has teamed with PepsiCo for seven years, was chosen from over 20 packers for its ability to provide Hot Filled products for all QTG (Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade) and PCNA (Pepsi-Cola North America) Supply Chains. PepsiCo rated its packers based on quality, customer service, and cost. The Hot Fill process is used to eliminate the use of preservatives, which can alter the taste of products. Sunsweet uses the technology to package PepsiCo products such as Dole juices, Lipton Teas, and SoBe beverages.Dodson notes that PepsiCo has an intricate and extensive quality complaints control system, which means there is no room for error in the packaging process.Sunsweet uses the same Hot Fill technology to package Sunsweet Prune Juice and Sunsweet PlumSmart. Sunsweet's years of contract packaging experience have proven invaluable to the snacks and soft drinks giant, which relies on standardization in its operating systems.