Awards for excellence in food production

Sri Lanka Food Awards of Excellence 2004 which rewards and recognises the performance of food companies in Sri Lanka will be held on August 20 at the BMICH. The event is organised by Sri Lanka Food Processors' Association (SLFPA) and the Processed Foods Development Initiative (PFDI) in association with the National Agri Business Council NAC. This is a concurrent event of Pro food/Pro Pack 2005 international food exhibition which will commence on August 19.

President of SLFPA Asoka Gopallawa said the trend is towards spicy foods and there is a huge demand for processed foods like pickle and chutney in the international market. It is important to promote these types of processed foods. SLFPA is supporting entrepreneurs who are involved in the processed food industry by providing loans, machinery and training.

The industry has improved tremendously and through these awards we plan to facilitate the development of the country's processed food and beverage sector, Gopallawa said.

The panel of judges comprises eminent personalities in the fields of international certification, quality and standardisation, food technology, finance and marketing. All short listed award winners would go through a tough plant inspection and quality evaluation.

The annual event will offer Gold, Silver, Bronze and merit awards for top performers in four categories Large, Medium, Small, and Micro scale businesses.

Winners will be eligible to carry the SLFPA logo on their products. (AS)