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If you accept a lie, does it become truth?
Solo Beverage, which is run by managing director Ken Charles, was in a philosophical mood, after the revelation that the company was selling a coconut drink minus the coconut.
The Ministry of Health’s Food and Drugs Division (FDD) was not thrilled that a totally artificial drink was being touted as a replacement to that cool and refreshing drink that everyone loves.
And, to quote former coconut vendor and dancehall don, General Grant: Dey shot call!
Solo chose an unusual defence. The company said it has been doing s**t like this since Keith Rowley had hair.
“What about orange, pineapple, grape, banana, etc,” retorted Solo, in an advertisement, “beverages replete on the grocery shelves and which do not contain the actual fruit in the product?”
At that point, it was easy to imagine Ken Charles in a long dark trench coat, pulling back the curtain like Morpheus to reveal the real world.
Suddenly, Mr Live Wire understood how he passed a breathalyser test despite spending a night out splurging on Solo Kola Champagne like P. Diddy.
Yes, there is no champagne, banana or coconut involved in the manufacturing of Solo’s drinks, although it is obviously implied in the name. So, should one fib be worse than the other?
And, if we accept the first lie, do we lose our moral right to point out the second one?
“Our intention has always bent give the consumer a product that is similar to the natural fruit at far less cost,” stated Solo. “Where is the ‘food fraud’?”
Solo made its case through a paid advertisement, rather than subjecting its board’s views on fraud to cross-examination by the media.
Solo by name; solo by ethos.
After the success of Solo’s early improperly named products, was the company obliged to continue the charade once it decided to put its hands on the coconut market?
Is the FDD the villain for singling out some deceptions but not others?
Does a country with an acting Commissioner of Police and pretend Integrity Commission deserve real fruit drinks?
Who knows. Mr Live Wire has never been one for philosophy. Coconut Water? Coconut? Coconut flavoured? Coconaught? Whatever.
All Live Wire knows is he will be buying something resembling an apple drink from Solo later. And paying for it with something resembling money.
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Mr. Live Wire is an avid news reader who translates media reports for persons who can handle the truth. And satire. Unlike Jack Nicholson, he rarely yells.
Who is going to compensate people who got cancer/ or look after their family
Everything is ah bobol so?
I nvr wud hv imagined that they wud stoop ‘so low ‘ ….
I am concerned that FSA where these product are tested has been closed for 2 year because of Health and Safety concerns, also The Immigration building has been closed for three years because of contamination.
what teh difference between ‘coco-not and tonic water?’
A set a hot air………..a banana soft drink have banana in it, Grape soft drink have grape in it? Go check Nestle and its products. Go check Blue Waters etc. waste of time set a people
Mario Boss look yuh favourite drink in d whole wide world
Lol
lol them not serious
Coconut “Flavoured” sweet drink. Talk done. Now Mr Livewire, go and take a look at all the Juice Drinks on the shelves that have no real fruit juice. And some buy pulp bulk and add it into the drink to make it look like it is juice. Trini manufacturers real good, Oui?
There is very little juice in the juice industry. They are mostly chemically manufactured flavours.
Haha. Imagine if when they won great race they spray Kola Champagne while holding the trophy?
In all fairness It’s labeled coconut and not coconut water.
It was changed from coconut water to coconut only after being publicly exposed. Now that public is aware they have the power to buy or not buy…
Personally, I think if there is zero coconut it shouldn’t have the name coconut at all. Call it potassium water! Lol.
At best, they can get away with Coconut-flavoured drink maybe.
Is Mr. Solo a real boat, or something with some boat in it? Now they have me wondering.
Coco-not….. Lmao…..
Who were they trying to fool
I ask the same questions about the other flavor Drinks I guess it’s ok they could continue with those but not cocoNot..
thats why i always say, i only drink coconut water out of a coconut
Great article.
cleverly labelled SOlo and clever article Lansana ..Hats off to both of you….but solo if it have no coconut water at least drop the price to regular “soft” drink price…
CocoNot.
Seems to me there is more than the pistle in the mortar here….
Pestle
Pistle(bull pistle) is made from bull’s dried penis. ?
I’m sure you got my point…thanks for the correction!
when you say more in the mortar you talking about a piece or wood used to pung the coffee or what ever, it is not made from dried bull penis, not sure of the spelling though
deceptive advertising aimed at the consumer ,the company remains defiant that they seem unapologetic ,no remorse for misrepresentation ,coconut is coconut water and not an extract ,they need to be prosecuted,consumer legislation needs to be followed up
I tried this product early…and gagged. Solo should just clearly market it as coconut sweetdrink and done. Cocorico redux. It has been deceptive. And that colour! Who wants to drink that?
Yes. Very good point. This business hurts their entire brand I think.
Yeah! When I make foreigners drink a red Solo with their roti, I always point in glee to those last three words on every label, even the painted ones on the glass bottle: “Contains No Juice”. That is precisely the reason a Solo is a Trinb ting, and was my delight in the pugnaciousness of the brand.
Well, we will have to call Solo Coco-nought a “brown Solo” I guess. I will pass on the experience though. Lol
D only coconut I buying is from d van 😮
Coconut drink is not the same as coconut water. Orange drink is not the same as orange juice. If it is being sold an marketed as Coconut drink as the other products, then I have no problem. I wouldn’t drink it.
Exactly
This shouldn’t even be a discussion, Solo mislabeled a product, they were ordered to remove them from shelves and should have been fined……daiz all.
Everything happened except the fine.
Coconut water and doubles are two holy cows in Trinidad. You pretending you forget! Lol
I haven’t forgotten, but absolutely nothing about this shouldn’t be straight forward.
In Trinidad the liquid contained within coconuts is known only as coconut water, Solo labeled a product that contained little (if any) coconut water as Coconut Water……that’s mislabeling.
The relevant authority should have fined the company and ordered them to remove the mislabeled products from store shelves by a certain date. Instead no fine was imposed and what can only be termed a polite request to recall the offending products from shelves was issued to which Solo has taken exception.
Add to that consumers seem at odds over whether the issue is the mislabeling, the quality or what exactly what the product is…….and poor me here looking on feeling like the little boy in ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’.
How is this still a thing?
Lol. Because mislabelling is a thing. Tell me you are giving me X and then giving me Y is one of the most serious crimes a business can do against a consumer.
Tell me that I’m buying freshly squeezed orange juice and give me cool-aid. I’ll be mad as hell.
Solo pull a fass one and get ketch …they ketch some people along the way but the show must go.
It’s sweet T&T!
Define serious.
If mislabeling was a serious thing wouldn’t there be serious repercussions to it?
Nothing is serious in the banana Lasana…….not murder and clearly not mislabeling!
LOL….Vernal Damion Cadogan you know you free to pass stuff by right? if you feel is not a thing…yuh could mosey
Long time in Brooklyn men used tuh put Machel on dey flyer knowing damn well dey eh hire no Machel.
Yuh know how I know it was serious?
Because there eventually were consequences!
I have no idea why people on an Island [growing coconuts] would buy coconut water/drink in a bottle.
Nicole thanks babes, Lasana is mih bredren…….when he tag mih ah does like tuh respond!
I does buy coconut water in bottles…cuz 1. I doh have no tree home…2. I dunno whe to start to open a coconut…3. Not because d savannah right dey mean I wanna walk over often to buy…so 2 bottles on a Sunday and I fix for d week
Vernal Damion Cadogan…ah know…me tooooooooooo
Haha. I want to put Vernal and Nicole on a sitcom oui! Lol. I agree in so much as, in Trinidad, is ‘tips play over’ when you get catch in some thievery–so long as you didn’t use a gun in the robbery and your home address isn’t in a hot spot.
Lasana Liburd you make mih bawl out with “and your home address isn’t in a hot spot” hahahahaaaaaaaa
and yes eh me and Vernal Damion Cadogan will do good in a comedy!!!
Nicole is mih doux-doux (in French cause it real), she wah me ignore my pardna post buh she kyah ignore my comments! LOL
Lasana still no biggie if yuh use a gun and your home address in a hot spot…no consequences whatsoever!
I keep saying we need to export ‘crime’ as a tourist attraction.
“Come for a holiday; get away with murder [and bobol]”
Yuh ever see the movie ‘The Purge’?
Doh rent it, it does come on on the streets of Trinidad every night!
Shamfa in this group? lolol
Hahaha. Well, Mel if they do ketch you and yuh from a hot spot. Your punishment is 10 years in jail while waiting for your case to call.
‘Tips play over’ is for bandits in suits.
Shamfa in an empty office building with ah desk and a land line……daiz d Ministry of Tourism!
I digging how for over a week Trinidadians trying to identify coconut water.
Just now dey go send samples to the Forensic Science Center fuh analysis.
Labelled ‘a liquid-like substance resembling coconut water.’
If they were serious there would have been a fine.
I’m yet to figure out why people would buy coconut “water” from solo!!! Once it’s called coconut water and it ain’t spoil in approx 3 days in the fridge daz nastiness!!!!
Brilliant Satire Lasana
Thanks!
..along El Socorro Road near the mosque..next to Geelal..get your pure coconut water ..every morning..rain, sun or snow..
This was not a paid advertisement..
Only in TT….my gawd. ….bwahahahaha
Thankfully solo doh sell viagra; else it would have ended up a big ‘flop’.
Guess things like market survey of name and taste, demographic targeting and such like exist but really does not exist just like their coconut drink which is not coconut.
Just imagine if P Diddy was pouring out apple J in the pic above or 2 banana solo…;)
Now they have me thinking, is Mr. Solo a real boat?
We miss the big picture of what the sugar is doing to our health and the large economic cost in healthcare and lifestyles. The artificial soft drinks loaded with sugar have been linked to:
1. Decaying teeth enamel leading to tooth decay
2. Leading dietary cause for Type 2 Diabetes
3. Weight gain
4 Heart disease
5. hypertension(high blood pressure)
6. Kidney disease
7. Liver damage
With so much at risk, our Ministry of Health, FDD chose to focus on the artificial aspect while ignoring the white elephant(SUGAR) in the bottle. We can’t even see an elephant in a bottle.
Well, nobody wants to get on to that elephant. With all the inadequacies of our health sector, one would think more attention would be paid to promoting healthy lifestyles. One would be wrong.
Thanks to Mr. LIve Wire , I can laugh instead of cry.
As the old people would say: Laugh and cry live in the same house! Lol
I’ve been trying to figure this out too… Did they market it as coconut water or a coconut flavored beverage. I mean the latter sounds gross but not much different from the other stuff… Anyway, I still think the only thing coconut water should be packaged in is a coconut…
There will be times when I am at a gas station and I’m tempted to try a coconut water in a bottle. But I’m looking for the real thing not flavoured water.
Don’t think I will try any now.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1573380/Doing-a-Ratner-and-other-famous-gaffes.html
Ahhh. Now I get the reference 😉
Sorry, I shouldve expanded on my comment
Lol. These quotes from Solo are so preposterous. It’s like they were satirizing themselves.
I don’t know why solo even bothered. I mean “apple-J” does have a taste like apple and I think it says the percentage of juice. Maybe 30% or something. But coconut water is such a subtle flavour….how did they plan to fool people with that …without actually using coconut water???
But really eh, are we so lazy and stupid to buy fizzy coconot water?
It just seem sacrilegious with all those vendors on the roadside with delicious coconut water.
Ent! I cant imagine anyone not buying fresh coconut water. We grew up on it. One of us would walk out to Mucurapo St with a jug every evening.
It’s not fizzy though. Agree with the sentiment that there is nothing like real coconut water.
I have seen small bottles for as much as $15 at times. Nowadays, you can get imported coconut water as well. It’s becoming popular in the US.
Gerald Ratner comes to mind
“All Live Wire knows is he will be buying something resembling an apple drink from Solo later. And paying for it with something resembling money.” Me too eh.
Why u hata do Keith like that? ? ?
Hahaha. One baldie to the next!
So funny…Coco-NOT?