A Packaging and Testing Cente (PTC) to test packaging materials for the food and spice sectors, to further strengthen Sri Lanka’s export markets has been opened at the Industrial Technology Institute (ITI).
The PTC is supported by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and funded by the European Union (EU).
EU Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Denis Chaibi said: “The business women and men that I regularly meet in Sri Lanka often confides that one of their main challenges is to find a reliable supplier of quality packaging. A package is not only a marketing tool, it is a business card that tells a lot about a company’s environmental, social and corporate standards. I am, therefore, keen to open the Packaging Testing Centre today, which will help exporters bring much needed forex to Sri Lanka. The EU finds different ways to support Sri Lankans.”
PTC will provide services in 12 physical and mechanical tests, for a wide range of packaging materials to satisfy regulatory requirements. UNIDO supported the acquisition of 19 high-tech instruments along with the training of personnel on the instruments by an international expert, used to conduct testing on the performance of packaging materials according to international testing protocols.
“Packaging is defined as ‘ensuring safe delivery of a product to its final consumer in very good condition and at a minimum affordable cost’. Globally, packaging is of great importance to both manufacturer and consumer as it prevents spoiling and tampering, protects from outside contamination, and extends shelf life,” said International Senior Technical Specialist, UNIDO, Dr. Jairo Villamil-Diaz.