FAMILY owned small business Casa Dairy Products has won the best retail product category at the inaugural Westpac Food and Beverage Industry Awards, organised by the Food Industry Association of WA. The Nedlands-based manufacturer of European-style cheeses and yoghurts was recognised for its Smoothe Probiotic Drinks, the 97 per cent fat-free beverages full of healthy probiotic cultures. Also featuring at the awards was Perth business Mundella Foods – recently re-launched as “your probiotic company” – which won in the best marketing campaign category. Mundella Foods recorded double-digit growth in Western Australia for its products over the past year. The export category winner of the awards was O’Connor-based Safeguard Innovations, a company created by this year’s national Telstra Business Woman of the Year Leanne Wesche. Safeguard Innovations won the award for its fruit and vegetable wash, a natural and biodegradable product that removes potential chemical contamination. The Albany Farmers Markets won the best service industry award for offering close to 40 local businesses a direct sales channel to consumers every Saturday since 2002. Perth fruit and vegetable wholesaler Freshcorp won in the best food service category. Freshcorp supplies more than 500 individual fresh fruits and vegetable to the hospitality industry. Diversified food, agribusiness and logistics company Craig Mostyn Group, based in Fremantle, won in the environment and sustainability category
