Five from Northern Ireland in Manufacturing Excellence Awards

Five Northern Ireland companies have been shortlisted for the prestigious Food Manufacturing Excellence Awards 2016.

The awards, organised by Food Manufacturing magazine, are among the most important and influential in the UK food and drink industry. The winners will be named at a gala industry event in London on 2 November.

The Northern Irish companies are bidding for awards in seven categories. They include major processors such as Moy Park, Northern Ireland's biggest manufacturer, and Dunbia, one of the leading meat processors in the UK and Ireland, as well as smaller enterprises such as Davison Canners, a processor of apples and other locally harvested fruits.

Launched in 2001, the Food Manufacturing Excellence Awards celebrate the highest standards and best achievements in the food and drink manufacturing and processing industry. The awards assess companies' progress across a raft of criteria, from:

• supply chain excellence to quality assurance and food safety
• process innovation to new product development
• environmental management to marketing and HR

The shortlisted Northern Ireland food processors are:
Chilled & Fresh Produce Manufacturing Company of the Year
• Davison Canners, Portadown, county Armagh - Bramley apple and fruit processing
• Mash Direct, Comber, county Down - potato, vegetable products and convenience meals
• Quinfresh, Omagh, county Tyrone - fruit and vegetable packaging

Meat, Poultry or Seafood Manufacturing Company of the Year
• Dunbia, Dungannon, county Tyrone - meat processing
• Moy Park, Craigavon, county Armagh - poultry processing

Supply Chain Initiative of the Year
• Moy Park

Training Programme of the Year
• Moy Park

Young Talent of the Year
• Robert Powell - Dunbia

Judges' Star Performer
• Davison Canners

SME Innovation of the Year
• Davison Canners