Global launch of Ceylon Cinnamon today in Cologne

The global launch of Ceylon Cinnamon will take place today in Cologne, Germany, at the world’s biggest food and beverage trade fair Anuga.

A top level Sri Lankan team for Germany’s Anuga Trade Fair left Colombo on the morning of Sunday October 9. The lead team is headed by Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen along with Export Development Board (EDB) Chairman Janaka Ratnayake and EDB officials.

“The largest food and beverage fair will help Sri Lanka to showcase its enticing F&B export items to the world,” said Minister Bathiudeen, prior to his departure. “It will also be a launch pad for our F&B exporters to Europe and the world at large as they will get to network with other visitors and exhibitors.”

The Anuga Trade Fair is the world’s largest food, beverage and catering exhibition with over 6,500 exhibitors and around 150,000 trade visitors from 100 countries joining in 2011. Held once in every two years, it combines 10 F&B trade trends and this year’s fair, organised by Koelnmesse GmbH, will take place from 8 to 12 October in Cologne, Germany.

It is also an important event for new markets and target groups for international exporters. The 2009 Fair saw 6,522 exhibitors from 98 countries with almost 150,000 visitors.

The international launch of Ceylon Cinnamon brand is also scheduled to take place during this event.

The team itself will lead and facilitate many Sri Lankan exporters taking part in the German Fair. Among leading Sri Lankan firms taking part at the fair are Expolanka, CIC Holdings, Renuka Agri Foods, Akbar Brothers, Asia Teas, Bio Extracts, Ceylon Biscuits, Dilmah, Eswaran Brothers, GP De Silva Sons, Euro-Scan Exports and Food & Nature (Pvt) Ltd.

EDB’s stalls at the Anuga venue are E040 and E046a and located in ‘Hall 1.1’. Among the exports that Sri Lanka will be showcasing are tea, canned foods, fruits and vegetables.                                     

Among the events at the Anuga Fair are talks with industry leaders, Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (Berlin – Business Leaders’ Initiative Food Security Conference), Meat Essential (for meat industry), Drink Trend forums, Innovation in Vegetable Foodstuff, Sustainability in saltwater and aquaculture fish, Anuga Culinary Stage, Meet the Halal World, Brazilian Food event, Antibacterial Technology and food safety, innovation in fruit beverages industry, and Anuga Wine Special Seminars.

Product segments are Fine Food, Drinks, Chilled and Fresh Food, Meat, Frozen Food, Dairy, Bread amd Bakery, Hot Beverages, Organic, FoodService, RetailTec, and the WellFood Forum.

The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (SLEDB) holds the ownership of the second national brand ‘Pure Ceylon Cinnamon’.

Minister Bathiudeen will also be promoting ‘Sri Lanka Expo 2012’ outside the Anuga venue in Cologne (two events) and Frankfurt (one event). Sri Lanka Expo 2012 is the premier international trade fair organised by the EDB and will be held from 28 to 30 March 2012 at the BMICH in Colombo.