Speciality Ceylon Tea Products at SIAL Food Fair

SIAL - Salon International da L' Alimentation, the International Food Products Exhibition held in France every two years is the second largest food exhibition in the world. SIAL showcases the entire global food by promoting the energy and vitality of the food Industry in France and internationally, in an environment that is friendly and conducive to doing business. SIAL is a global event and not confined only to France.

Around, 5,300 exhibitors from 99 countries participated in the SIAL 2006 edition at the Parc de Exposition north of Paris recently which attracted visitors from over 150 countries. The preliminary estimate has placed the number of visitors at 140,000 from all five continents.

Over 50% of visitors were from the European Union while Asia and Oceania accounted for second place with about 15% of visitors followed by South America, North America, Middle East, Africa and the rest of Europe.

The exhibition was divided into fifteen clearly identified product sectors to help visitors. The sectors included meat products, poultry products, fruit and vegetables, organic products, health food and food supplements, catering products, seafood products, alcohol beverages, non-alcohol beverages, canned food, deep frozen products, grocery items, confectionery including hot beverages, dairy products and food ingredients and additives.

The Sri Lanka Tea Board along with seven-tea companies-Amazon Trading, Free Lanka Tea, HVA Foods, Regency Tea, Standard Trading, Sunshine Tea and Talawakelle Tea participated in the exclusive Tea Pavilion at the SIAL Fair. The Sri Lanka Tea Board participation was organised by its Tea Promotion Unit of the Sri Lanka Embassy in Warsaw.

In keeping with the Government's policy of promoting value added tea, the Sri Lankan tea companies offered black, green, organic, flavoured and iced teas products and novelty tea products in sophisticated packing under their respective brands.

The most innovative products range was offered by HVA Foods. Their green tea based tea mouthwash, tea bath from green tea and herbs, tea soap with black and green tea and green tea drink with alovera showed that Sri Lankan tea companies have entered a new era in product development in the tea sector. Unlike the other mouthwash products in the market the green tea based mouthwash does not contain any alcohol. They also offered iced tea (RTD) in pet bottles and tetra packs.

The Amazon Trading Company offered Ceylon organic tea in attractive tins together with speciality tea products for the upmarket gift tea segment. The green tea fruit flavoured range offered by Regency Tea Company was also popular among the visitors.

The flavours included earl grey, lemon, mint, apple, cinnamon, camomile and honey. The Talawakelle Tea, Sunshine Tea and Free Lanka Tea Company, the three plantation companies who were at the SLTB stand offered single garden tea from their own estates. The slim and trim tea, black tea with vitamin and calcium offered by standard Trading Company were also commended by the visitors to the Sri Lanka Pavilion.

The Sri Lanka Tea Board had an information desk at the SIAL fair to provide information on Sri Lanka tea to potential buyers. It also conducted a liquid tea service using Nuwara Eliya, Uva and Dimbula regional teas, which attracted many visitors to the Sri Lanka tea stand. The Tea Board also distributed promotional literature on Ceylon tea and health aspects of tea drinking to educate the visitors.

Mrs. Chitranganee Wagiswara, Sri Lanka's Ambassador in France visited the Sri Lanka Tea stand and exchanged views with the representatives of the Sri Lanka tea companies.