The Stabroek Business first met Sandra Craig, the owner of the SS Natural Fruit Flavors brand in 2017 she was part of the Guyana contingent to the Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA) in Barbados. In those days she was, at best, hopeful, that her food sauces would find favor with what she anticipated would be a fiercely competitive ‘market.’ Suffice it to say that they did. Last week the steady growth of her reputation as an agro-processor brought her products the accolade of being accorded the Guyana National Bureau of Standards’ ‘Made in Guyana’ Award.
The Award is a significant accolade first bestowed on the local company known as the Fibre Tech Industrial Plastics earlier this year. Simply put, it is a national stamp of approval which, through its official authentication of a product as being Guyanese-manufactured enables consumer recognition thereby opening up market access at the national, regional and international levels. The mark provides assurance to potential buyers that the ‘certified’ item has its origins in a company that is served by a local labour force that is at least 70% Guyanese. It is also a quality assurance guarantee.