US STRUGGLE AGAINST ‘JERMUK’ IS ARTIFICIAL

A1+
[09:43 pm] 13 March, 2007

The guests in "Urbat" club started their meeting by drinking "jermuk"
mineral water.

The US Agency of Food and Medicine announcement had a great
repercussion among Armenian consumers. "Jermuk Group" company, as
well as "Mother Jermuk" factory together with experts gave a press
conference to satisfy public anxiety.

"Jermuk "representatives find that the announcement itself is very
suspicious and gives ground to different interpretation.

They suppose that an illegal mineral water is exported to the
USA. "The picture of the examined bottle is on the site. There is
no such brand in the Armenian market. One of the deer is missing,
which is a confusing sign,"

The companies are surprised to hear no specific company. "First of all
the agency should have discussed it with the corresponding producer,
to see whether it belonged to it or not. None of our company got
any notification."

"Jermuk Group" company has got certificates given by both EU and
Russian Federation. And the USA has been importing the mineral water
since 2000, and there have been no complaints about the brand.

As to the companies, it has some political background." Without a
special allowance the brand could never enter the market if it were
unhealthy and of low quality. Why wasn’t it banned in 2000? " Edgar
Ghazaryan mentions and adds, "This is a deliberate action towards
Armenian mineral water. It is neither the ownership of "Jermuk Group"
nor that of "Mother Jermuk"; it is RA ownership as far as it is of
mineral wealth."

Vice-head of epidemiology department of Ministry of Health, Marieta
Basilyan affirms that "There is 0.1% less arsenium in product
exported to US as compared with Armenian brand. It is strange to
believe that this quantity could result in poisoning. According to
the information provided by world health organization, no cases of
disease are reported. "