Sri Lanka sent the largest ever contingent of food and beverage exporting companies to 'Gulfood 2017', the world's largest annual food and drink exhibition in Dubai, a statement said on Saturday.

At the event held at the Dubai World Trade Centre, the country used the opportunity to promote its world famous Ceylon Tea and other food-related exports to the UAE and Gulf region as well as other global markets, Xinhua news agency cited the Foreign Ministry as saying.

Twenty-three Sri Lankan companies participated in the exhibition displaying their products consisting of various food items under the national pavilion of "Export Development Board of Sri Lanka".

Nineteen tea exporting companies also participated under the national pavilion banner of "Sri Lanka Tea Board".
 

A total 45 tea companies from Sri Lanka participated as exhibitors which was considered as an all-time record for any location in the world, the statement said.

More than 120 countries participated in the Gulfood 2017 and representing these countries, over 5,000 exhibitors displayed a range of diverse products at their dedicated national pavilion.

During the five-day event, more than 95,000 business customers representing various food sectors visited the exhibition.