Our Vision

“Excellence and World Class”

Our Mission

“Offer Direction and Leadership to the Processed Food Industry of Sri Lanka”

SLFPA Founded in 1997 as an advocacy Group of Sri Lanka Food Processors Association consists of over 95 Member companies.

Committed to the Development of the country’s Processed food and beverage industry the Association consist of members from seven sub sectors addressing such issues as National Policy, Intra regional cooperation, Technology, Knowledge transfer and Marketing.

The Group offers leadership to a small but vibrant National Processed Food Industry. Vital to the Island Nation’s Agro based economy the sector directly employs over three hundred thousand persons while supporting over four million back stream producers.

Our Objectives

1. To gain recognition as Sri Lanka’s foremost representative body for the Food Processing Sector.
2. To bench mark best practices and to motivate the local industry to achieve Global Standards.
3. To create market opportunity by gaining recognition and adding value to the uses of the SL Brand.
4. To be a distinct player in the Regions Food processing industry.
5. To develop a comparatively and advantageous environment for the food Processing industry, increasing return on investment, benefits for stake holders and down stream producer communities.
6. To play an important role in the country’s development effort.
7. Facilitate intra-regional cooperation and development by playing an active role within the BIMST-EC Expert Group, for the sector.

• Representation of business related issues with relevant government authorities.
• Access to seminars /events organized by the Association at a preferential rate.
• Facilitate participation at international training programmes sponsored by recognized
• International organizations.
• Forum to discuss/submit trade related grievances and other related matters of trade interest (Eg. FTA negotiations)
• Opportunity to establish overseas links though letters of introduction issued by SLFPA to overseas chambers and trade promotion organizations.
• Recognition by business locally and abroad.
• Advice on all trade related matters.
• Easy accessibility to product and market information, through reference material.
• Representation on SLFPA steering committees and the possibility of being nominated to external committees as the SLFPA representative.
• Special rates for our state –of-the-art National Exhibitions etc.
• For your easy enrollment, please contact the SLFPA secretariat

Venue : Mihilaka Madura – BMICH, 9.00 am – 12.00 noon

IFSTSL Council and Resource persons at the symposium:

Front L to R

Dr. Sanath Mahawithanage(Assistant Secretary–IFSTSL)
Dr.Hemantha Herath –Deputy Director –Environmental and Occupational Health, Ministry of Health
Mrs. Nayana Satharasinghe -Director -Product Certifications, Sri Lanka Standards Institute
Emeritus Prof. Upali Samarajeewa-– Chairman, Board of Governors – IFSTSL
Emeritus Prof. Arthur Bamunuarachchi -University of Sri Jayewardenepura,
Dr.(Mrs) Eresha Mendis – Committee member – IFSTSL,
Prof. K. K. D. S. Ranaweera – Member, Board of Governors- IFSTSL,
Mr. Nanda Kohona – Committee member- IFSTSL,
Dr. G. A. S. Premakumara –Head of Herbal Technology Division, Industrial Technology Institute,
Mr. Manju Gunawardana – Managing Director -Ozonotics (Pvt) Ltd,

Back L to R.
Mr. Dilano Dias – Director-Millers Ltd/Chamber of Commerce Representative to Food Advisory Committee,
Dr. D. B. T. Wijeratne – Additional Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Member, Governing Board – IFSTSL,
Dr. Niranjan Rajapakse – President –IFSTSL,
Mr. Sanjaya K. Pathirage – Secretary –IFSTSL,
Mr. Maliek de Alwis – MA’S Food Processing (Pvt) Ltd,. Sri Lanka Food Processors Association Representative to Food Advisory Committee,
Mr. Harsha Abeywardena –

Deeper understanding of food regulations is a key to ensure compliance and smooth functioning of daily business. Objective of the symposium is to build awareness on food regulations and related standards in Sri Lanka and understand the future directions in global food standards.

This will be an ideal forum for the industry and interested students to gain an understanding on food regulations and standards in Sri Lanka and a certificate of participation will be awarded on the request. Download the e-flyer and application form here.

AGENDA

For any clarification, Ms. Sandhya Fernando.

Phone : 011 7548770, 011 4920206
Fax : 011 7548771
Email : info@ifstsl.org
Address : Sri Lanka Food Processors Association (SLFPA)
No. 1, 1/1
Anderson road
Colombo 05
Sri Lanka

“The Sri Lanka Food Processors Association celebrated its 10th Anniversary of the Pro Food/Pro Pack Exhibition at a Gala Dinner Dance held at Cinnamon Lake Side on 24th September 2011. The event was more than a success which was houseful and many distinguished personalities from private and government sector participating at the event”.

Pro Food Pro Pack and Agbiz 2012 will provide the general public and all the stake holders within the industry a unique and unparalleled experience into the inner workings of the food and beverage industry. The event will showcase the latest
products in the local processed food industry, sampling of consumer favorites, innovations and technology development in packaging, modern agricultural machinery & services, processed food hygiene education among many other facets of the industry.The Sri Lankan consumer in general circumstances would be unaware of the methods and technology used
to manufacture the foods that they consume. The event will provide them with an opportunity to witness the manufacturing process and the packaging process which encompasses all steps taken to produce the final product. The exhibition has partnered Agbiz which will give all participants the opportunity to witness the modern farming methods, and in its essence
will showcase the “first step” to food processing.

Dhammika Gunasekara, the Chairman of the Organizing Committee is of the opinion that the event will provide stake holders of all industries a central gathering point which will give them the ability to witness a cross section of facets within the industry.” The current growth in the economy and the need for a comprehensive event that covers all angles has been met by Pro Food Pro Pack during the last decade. We want to build on our success and want to take this ever evolving industry to the next level giving all participants a different and unique outlook into the inner workings of the products that are so close to them, it will also provide a cross section of industry players a platform to witness the complete integration process involved with food processing and packaging” he said.

The event will cater to different audiences but will most necessarily involve all stakeholders within the industry from the farmer to the ultimate consumer. Modern seeding methods, innovative irrigation systems for farming, harnessing of the right crop, irrigation systems and all other facets of the agricultural evolution will be of great importance to those of the farming and plantation industry. The event will provide supermarket chains, hotels and other category buyers an ideal platform, to witness firsthand the essence of the products that are to be offered to the consumer. The industrial buyer will also be given an unparalleled and unique experience to witness packaging processes and systems, machinery, quality assurance systems under one roof within the span of the exhibition. “The idea is to provide all those participants the full experience of the process from Farm to Kitchen and we are striving in achieving this goal. It will give all audiences an ideal opportunity to witness for themselves the evolutionary process. It will also be the best meeting ground for stakeholders of all facets within the industry to meet communicate and network in order to get the maximum out of the products they are offering” Gunasekara said.

Pro Food Pro Pack Agbiz 2012 will be the ideal launching pad for new products and services within the industry giving the manufacturers and producers an ideal opportunity to witness consumer reactions and feedback in the most personalized and effective form. The event will include competitions, cookery, and a wide array of events during the three days to give the participants and visitors an experience which in its true sense would be incomparable. The mega event will be a ‘one of a kind’ exhibition that would essentially give all stake holders of the industry – from the manufacturer to the ultimate consumer an experience that would be in unparalleled.

The 6th Pro Foods Pro Pack Exhibition was held from 20th to 22nd July 2007 at Sirimavo Bandaranayake Memorial Exhibition Center BMICH. The event was organized by Sri Lanka Food Processors Association, Ministry of Industrial Development, Processed Foods Development Initiative (pvt) Ltd., National Agribusiness Council and Professional Exhibition Organizer Lanka Exhibition & Conference services (pvt) Ltd. The Official News papers for the event were Daily News, Sunday Observer and Dinamina. Derana TV was the Official  TV Channel and Hiru FM,Gold FM and Sun FM acted as  Official radio Channels.

Mr. Nanda Kohona the President of the SLFPA assisted by the Exco Members led the Organising Committee of the PRO FOODS /PRO PACK-2007. Along with Pro Foods Pro Pack Ag Biz 2007 which was a “Farmers fair” was also held at the same venue. The chief guests at the inauguration of  this exhibition were Hon. Kumara Welgama Minister of Industrial Development and Hon. Hemakumara Nanayakkara  Deputy Minister of Agriculture.

The stalls of the exhibition were representing Food manufacturing and Packaging Companies, Food related Machinery Suppliers, Certification Services and Food Science Departments of Universities. They  introduced and demonstrated their latest technologies during the exhibition. The value of this exhibition was further enhanced with cookery demonstrations that were conducted on the 21st and 22nd of July by Chef Lloyd Opatha and his team from the Galadari Hotel.

At the same time an hourly raffle draw was held using  members’  products as  gift packs that were given away to the winners.. Mr.M.P. Welivita and  Mr. Chula Seneviratne were involved in organizing the hourly draw. More than Nine thousand participants visited  the exhibition during three days.

Food awards
The Pro foods Pro pack Awards committee consisted of  Chairman Awards and Exco Member Mr. Damitha Perera and a panel of judges consisting of  Mr.Cyril Wickramaratne the secretary SLFPA , Mr.Laksiri Wickramage , Ms.Jennifer Ingleton and Mrs.Sunanda Weerasingha who are also Exco Members of SLFPA together with  Mrs.Damitha Rajapaksha the Food Technologist from  the Industrial Technology Institute.

The Categories and the Winners of Food Awards are given below.

1) Best Natural Product
Winner              – Lanka Organics (Pvt) Ltd for Natures’ Bounty Kithul Products.
1st Runner Up   – Wichithra Vacuum  Dehydrated Natural Products for dehydrated Karawila
2nd Runner Up  -  Kelani Valley Canneries for Guava Cordial.

2) Product with Best Packaging
Winner              – Sri Lanka Cashew Corporation for spicy Cashew pack

3) Product with Local Raw Material
 Winner           – Lanka Organics (pvt) Ltd for Natures Bounty Traditional Sri Lankan Rice.
1st Runner Up - Daintee Ltd for Kurakkan Family Breakfast Cerial.
2nd Runner Up – C.D.De Fonseka & Sons (Pvt) Ltd for Coconut Vinegar.

4) Most Innovative Product
Winner – Daintee Ltd for Kurakkan Breakfast Cerial
1st Runner Up - Renuka Agrifoods Ltd for Coconut Curry
2nd Runner Up - Plenty Foods (Pvt) Ltd for Samaayu Kolakenda.

5) Best Stall Food Category –Ma’s Foods
6) Best Marketing Effort by a Company – Diamond Best Foods
7) Best Presented pack for any product developed with Ag Ent support - MA’s Foods for their Retorted Chicken Curry Pack

The Seminar on ISO 22,000 and HACCP –

The speakers –

1.Prof. Upali Samarajeewa  the head of Food Science and Technology Department of the Faculty of Agriculture University of Peradeniya.
2. Mr.Prabath Samarasingha the Managing Director Nexus Business Solutions (Pvt) Ltd.
3. Mr.Mario de Alwis the Chairmen of the National Agribusiness Council
A Panel discussion was held at the Seminar led by Mr.Nanda Kohona the President of the SLFPA. and  Prof .Upali Samarajeewa, Mr.Prabath Samarasingha and  Mr.A.K.Ratnaraja the Chairmen of Ind-expo certification (pvt)Ltd as well as  Ceylon National Chamber of Industries.

The objective of the above seminar was to create an awareness among the food manufacturing industries on the Certification for better market opportunities. There were more than 70 participants from various food related industries at  this seminar. Mr. Cyril Wickramaratne delivered the vote of thanks.

Cleaner Dining Programme

SLFPA and the Public Health Department of Colombo Municipal Council jointly conducted a programme to select the best three food outlets in the three Major Food Courts from each Shopping  Mall. namely Majestic City, Crescat and Excel World. .SLFPA launched the competition with a Seminar on Food Hygiene and a cookery demonstration on the 4th of May 2007 at New Town hall, Colombo 7.

The purpose of this programme was to uplift the standards in the preparation of food in restaurants and educate the restaurant kitchen staff. The main sponsor was  Millers PLC. and Consultant  Chef UniLever ,Mr. Saman  Wijeratna also helped SLFPA by meeting the restaurant staff,  pointing out their short comings and advising them to reorganize their businesses .

In this process experts from the Hotel industry  educated them on methods to improve hygienic conditions, proper food preparation techniques, utilizing the existing resources without having to incur, additional expenses to achieve the minimum quality standards required by Public Health Department. The original concept was suggested by Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam, the Chief Medical Officer, Colombo Municipal Council .

Subsequently the panel of judges visited the restaurants on 16th and 17th of July 2007 and selected the best restaurant followed by the  1st runner up and 2nd runner up. The winner of the Excel World (Millennium city) was Milleka  food court, the 1st runner up was Clay Pot food court and 2nd runner up was Domino’s Pizza food court. The winner of the Majestic City was Roots food court, the 1st runner up was Vilasa kitchen  and 2nd Runner up was Great Lantarn food court. The winner of the Crescat was CC Express food court, the 1st Runner up was Sakura Japan and the 2nd runner up was Sri Lankan food court. They were awarded certificates and plaques of appreciation during the Pro-Foods/ Pro-Pack 2007 Awards Nite. The main sponsor Millers PLC awarded  the selected restaurants.

The Chairperson of the cleaner dining programme was Mrs.Sunanda Weerasinghe and the team consisted  of   Mr. Cyril Wickramaratne the Secretary of the SLFPA,Mr Delano Dias General Manager – Marketing Millers PLC, Mr. Saman Wijeratna – Consultant chef – Uni Lever , Mr Hillary Casichetty , Millers PLC ,  Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam  the Chief Medical Officer and Dr. Ruwan Wijemuni of the Colombo Municipal Council.,Mr.Susil M.Kathriarachchi  the Chief Inspector Food & Drugs, Mr.Lal kumara and  Mr.Gamini Ranasingha Food Inspectors from CMC and  Mr. Mohan Wickramaratne the Head – Unilever Food Solutions Sri Lanka., .

The theme of the  Seminar was “Food hygiene and presentations suitable for snack bars”

The following SLFPA committee members assisted the project chairman to organise the project Mr. Cyril Wickramaratne (secretary), Mr. Maliek de Alwis (asst:.treasurer) and Ms.Dilharie Samarakoon  (admin. Sec)

This was held using all the member’s products as hampers to the consumers. Consumers had the opportunity to select and pack their own hamper as well.

We had an exceptional situation of where Mr. Sarath De Silva (International Food Stuff (pvt) Ltd) of the NAC purchasing over 90 hampers for his own and assisted the SLFPA very much.