Volunteer Brews Success for Client with Reformulation of Maize Drink
Malawi is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, ranked as one of the poorest in the world, with about 70% of the population currently living below the $2.15 per day international poverty line. The situation has been exacerbated in the last two years, following currency devaluations by the country’s central bank which has seen the Malawian Kwacha lose nearly half its value against the US dollar. The resulting price hikes in commodities, fuel and utilities, has led to increased production costs for manufacturers across all sectors.
PFS client Chibuku Products Ltd. (CPL) is one of these producers, who has not been spared. CPL produces ‘maheu’ a traditional Southern-African drink made from maize flour, milk, sugar, and flavors. It is usually consumed as a whole meal because it leaves consumers very full. As the Kwacha weakened and inflation soared, CPL saw its production costs skyrocket. The beloved maheu faced threats to its production viability due to soaring costs of imported ingredients. “At the rate things were going, it was going to become unprofitable to produce the maheu drink,” said James Chimtengo, quality manager for Chibuku Products Ltd.
They reached out to PFS for help and the challenge was clear: help them reduce production costs without compromising the integrity, taste, or nutritional value of maheu. With the expertise of dsm-firmenich’s Zhen Wang, a senior fermentation operations scientist, based in Maryland, USA, the journey toward a more sustainable maheu began. Zhen joined this project (her first with PFS) following a recommendation from her colleague who knew she would be a great fit. “We began the project with a very simple information sheet, so our first few meetings were to understand the situation and the need. I have never been to Africa, so all my understanding and knowledge was based on Google or research.”
Through countless meetings and a meticulous examination of the production process, Zhen worked with CPL towards innovation. Using lean methodology, she analyzed their production process and made proposals for them to review. They then discussed the feasibility of each suggestion and followed up on the actionable items. Mr. Chimtengo said, “As difficult as we were, giving reasons why several suggestions could not work, Zhen continued availing herself for our online meetings. She listened to us, took notes, re-examined the production process, and made new recommendations. This required commitment, and she was blessed with lots of it.”
The breakthrough came with bold decisions. Milk was replaced with high-quality, creamy powdered milk. The result? A reformulated maheu recipe that not only met the stringent quality standards but also reduced production costs by half. With every sip of maheu, affordability and sustainability now intertwine seamlessly. Chibuku is already making significant profits from the sale of the reformulated drink on the market. Reflecting on the collaboration, Zhen Wang shared, “I really enjoyed working with Chibuku. They were responsive and challenging. I was happy to help and learned a lot from them in the process too.”