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Caribbean Export Development Agency

07/10/2003

Press Release

Caribbean Pavillion a "Hit" at the Summer International Fancy Food and Confection Show 2003

Nineteen (19) exporters from five (5) Caribbean countries, Suriname, Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Haiti, treated participants and visitors to a tasty tour of the Caribbean at the 49th Summer International Fancy Food & Confection Show at the Jacob Javits Convention Centre in New York from June 29 – July 1, 2003. These Caribbean food manufacturers and exporters had promoted a wide range of indigenous and exotic Caribbean Food and Beverage products at the Show.

This year marked Caribbean Export’s 10th year coordinating the Caribbean pavilion housing companies who showcased a wide assortment of products such as coffees, rums, fruit based sauces, spices, condiments, jams, jellies, seasonings, juices, rum cakes, rum fruit cakes and pre-prepared meals, all Authentic products of the tropical Caribbean.

Several companies also launched new products at the show. The Barbadian Calypso Rum Cakes presented their new Lemon Ginger Rum cake. Two Trinidadian companies Best Foods Company and Caribbean Specialty Foods’ launched Pickled Pepper sauce Celery and Tamarind and Mango Hot sauce, respectively. The Jamaican companies Grace Foods International Ltd launched Sourrel Ginger, West Indian Cherry and their new tetra pack Natural Coconut Water beverages, Glenleigh’s presented concentrated and blended (with passion and guava) Noni Juice, Tijule Company Ltd newest entrance was Nels Old Time ready meals Ackee and Saltfish with roasted breadfruit, Cassava Bammy with Escoveitch fish, Sweet Potato pudding mix and sweet Pineapple and Passion sauces. Other Jamaican companies Tweedside Processors Ltd launched their Pine Mango and Mild Mango sauce, Banana ketchup, Jerk BBQ sauce and Vegetarian Red Pea Soup and Walkerswood Caribbean Foods presented their Fire Stick Pepper Sauce (plenty hot).

Companies attending for the first time was Compagnie Haitienne de Café, S.A., Federation des Associations Cafeieres Natives (FACN), JMB, S.A., Rebo, S.A. and Shaisa, S.A. from Haiti and Suriname Alcohol Beverages (SAB) from Suriname.

Repeat participants at each show were Matouk International Ltd. from Trinidad & Tobago and Walkerswood Caribbean Foods from Jamaica.

According to Sam Kruiner, Export Business Advisor at Caribbean Export, the Summer International Fancy Food & Confection Show is the leading marketplace for purveyors of gourmet and specialty foods, beverages and confections. The Show had 1,995 exhibiting companies in total representing 45 countries and was attended by 22,673 visitors and buyers from 65 countries. This year the Caribbean pavilion covered 1,100 square feet, 200 square feet more than in 2002, of the 91,400 square feet of total exhibit space for international participation. Within the International pavilions the Caribbean pavilion was one of the largest pavilions exceeding pavilions from China, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador and Sri Lanka.

Caribbean Export this year has partnered with CARANA Corp., a firm charged with implementing the USAID Caribbean Trade & Competitiveness Programme, which has provided financial support through this programme to participating companies. This is the first of a number of collaborative projects being implemented by CARANA under this USAID programme with Caribbean Export.

The Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) is a regional organization based in Barbados, with a sub-regional office in the Dominican Republic, a branch office in Cuba and a network of market specialists in the Caribbean, Latin America, North America and Europe. The Agency was established to help Caribbean exporters and manufacturers make the most of their export potential and work through established linkages in 15 Caribbean states.

For more information on Caribbean Export, please visit our website at www.carib-export.com.

At Caribbean Export please contact
Joy Hall – e-mail: jhall@carib-export.com
Sam Kruiner – e-mail: skruiner@carib-port.com
Tel 246 4360578 Fax 246 439999

July 10, 2003