Bulgarian Soft Drink Association

The Bulgarian Soft Drink Association (BSDA) is a non-government organization (NGO) established in 1995. BSDA is a member of the Union of European Beverages Associations (UNESDA-CISDA) since 1996. The Association is also a member of the Bulgarian Industrial Association, Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Bulgarian Association of Food and Drink Industry and member of the Union of Food Industry at the Federation of the Scientific - Technical Unions in Bulgaria.

The Bulgarian Soft Drink Association is a not for profit organization and is a legal entity established for implementing activity in private benefit in accordance to the Law on non-profit legal entities. The Association implements activities related to assisting, protecting and encouraging the rights and interests of the companies carrying out activities related to the manufacturing and bottling of non-alcoholic beverages, juices, natural mineral, spring and table waters, protecting the interests and rights of members of the Association before the State public and other authorities and institutions in Republic of Bulgaria and abroad;

Activities of the Association

* Undertaking measures for preferences and alleviation in the field of economic policy for the members of the Association regarding taxation, customs tariff, foreign trade administration and others;
* Development and assistance of the regional trade activities, especially manufacturing and distribution in the field of non-alcoholic beverages;
* The organization and distribution of technical and economic information and intelligence for assisting/helping members of the Association in management and technical progress of their activity;
* Organizing and participation in exhibitions, trade fairs and other forums in the country and abroad; assisting partnership and cooperation with companies – manufacturers of raw materials, ingredients, equipment, packaging and other;
* Implementation of specialized activities and the taking of measures for protecting the environment, as well those that are meant to reduce the negative influence of production on the environment and on the people’s health;
* Organization, coordination and harmonization of approaches and intentions of members of the Association for the activities of the home and international markets, providing information and analysis of markets and consumer demand;
* Establishing and maintaining relations with ministries and departments, educational institutions and institutes with the view of assisting/helping the activities of members of the Association in the field of education and professional qualification/training of staff and employees.

At the moment the Association has 46 members with total market share – carbonated soft drinks 75%, bottled water 85%, non-carbonated soft drinks 80%, and juices 50%. The total market share of the members of the Association is over 70%. This indicates that its members are the main manufacturers of drinks in Bulgaria. Beside manufacturers of drinks in the Association membership has companies-manufacturers of packages, raw materials and additives for the non-alcoholic beverages industry.

The Association publishes an annual advertising and information booklet, the ‘Year-book’. One of the tasks of the Association is to conduct continuous research on the development and changes of the soft drink market in Bulgaria, which is published in the annual report. The Association is the initiator of organizing the annual competition of 'soft drink of the year', of which the interest is continuously growing.

To assist the manufacturers of non-alcoholic beverages industry models of Good Manufacturing Practices, HACCP system for safety of the beverages, Guidance for good hygienic practices at the offering of bottled water for systems hot/cold water are developed. The Association is organizer of many discussions and conferences in the field of food legislation, good practices, plans for food safety, adoption of international standards ISO.BSDA cooperates with all government and non-government institutions and organizations, which are related to the industry. With expert standpoint the Association takes part actively in discussion of normative documents, including the Food Law and the concomitant regulations. Of interest to the members and the industry are introduced and made specific amendments in texts of laws and regulations.

The Association is a member of the Union of European Beverages Associations (UNESDA) since 1996. The Association is a member of the Bulgarian Industrial Association, Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Bulgarian Association of Food and Drink Industry, Union of Food Industry at the Federation of the Scientific -Technical Associations in Bulgaria.

Short background information of the Soft Drink industry

The soft drink industry in Bulgaria has over 55 years of history and it has started with the first company for bottling natural mineral water. Building of contemporary for the 1960s enterprises for producing licensed drinks – ‘Оrangeade’, ‘Coca Cola’, ‘Pepsi Cola’, ‘Schweppes’, production of fruit juices and herbal concentrate and drinks among them marked the beginning of the new period in the sector development.

In the years after 1990 in the country started reorganization and restructuring of old business establishments: setting of many new bigger and smaller enterprises and workshops for manufacturing carbonated drinks, natural fruit juices, dissolvable drinks and for bottling water. The economical and political changes revealed opportunities for unfolding the private initiative. With foreign and local capital conditions are set for the manufacturing even bigger variety of drinks in line with the European criteria and standards. Today the Bulgarian market does not differentiate from the European market by variety of drinks, packing and packaging. The industry is enriched not only as a material base, but also as a technological. Many European and globally known companies, manufacturing raw materials, ingredients, equipment or technological equipment are immediately present in the industry.

At present, the companies from the soft drinks industry comprise 10% of the total amount of companies of food processing industry in Bulgaria. They make 6.5% of the wholesale turnover of the food and drink industry. The amount of the employed workers and attendants in 17 large and 290 medium and small companies is over 4600 people. The value of the production on retail price in the domestic market for 2006 is €530 million.

The industry is one of the most dynamic and fastest growing in the country.Fact|date=July 2008 In the years after the changes occurring in the country the investments in new and reconstructed business establishments exceeded $550 million. Introducing capacity, output and power of most contemporary technical level, the search for modern technological solutions in all directions – in producing natural fruit juices and nectars, of carbonated and non-carbonated drinks, of functional drinks, in water bottling sector, makes the Bulgarian market in its diversity similar to the European. Many are now examples of investments, made with the partnership, both, with domestic: Bulgarian and with foreign capital: German, Austrian, Polish, Greek, North American, French, Turkish and others.

For the development of the industry the following factors show: in the past 10 years the consumption per capita of the population of bottled water increased 12 times, of fruit juices and nectars – more than 6 times, of non-carbonated drinks – more than 4 times. The soft drinks sector is a leader in the total consumption of drinks in Bulgaria (including beer, wine, and high in alcohol drinks, milk drinks, coffee and tea) with market share of over 62%, which increases each year.

The soft drink consumption in 2007 is expected to exceed 1630 million liters, which means growth of 16%. Thus the consumption per capita of the population will increase by 30 liters and by the end of the year it will reach 214 liters. The industry offers to the Bulgarian consumer exceptionally broad choice of drinks. Considerable contribution to the industry growth has the cooperation and partnership with many companies in Europe. Many of the manufacturers use technological plans and materials, technological and laboratory equipment, engineering services from German, Austrian, Dutch, French, Belgian companies.

Companies from the industry present themselves successfully on the united European market. Majority of them are certified by the ISO 9000:2001 standard for quality assurance and the integrated system ISO 22000. Many of them are preparing to adopt the standards of chain stores like BRS, IFS and others. Models of the Good manufacturing practices and HACCP systems are developed by the Soft Drink Association in assistance to the companies in the sector. Ever more expanding is becoming the circle of companies, which export own products into the European and global markets. In 2005 the export of bottled water, fruit juices and nectars was on the amount of 40 million liters and show indications to grow further in the following years. Products of Bulgarian companies, manufacturers of soft drinks, are sold in USA, UK, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Malta, and Cyprus, all Balkan countries, in Russia, Ukraine, Africa, Middle East, and Latin America.

External links

* [http://www.bsda-bg.org/ Bulgarian Soft Drink Association]