NDC Mark

The National Dairy Council mark gives consumers the assurance that the milk or cream products they are purchasing have been farmed and processed in the Republic of Ireland.

It allows consumers in the Republic of Ireland who are buying milk or cream to instantly identify which products are supporting over 4,676 local jobs, contribute to our own tax returns and contribute to our own economy - and it empowers consumers to make purchases based on being informed about the source of the milk and cream products which they purchase. 

The National Dairy Council mark has been developed by the NDC to support the business of its members.  The initiative has been supported by extensive industry consultation and by research which demonstrates that consumers welcome the kind of clarity which this mark will provide.

The development of this mark has taken time, consultation and is supported by research with recent consumer testing of the mark showing widespread understanding and support for the concept. For instance:

• At the NDC National Conference in June 2009, Nielsen research presented (Alan Purcell) on the latest shopper trends in Ireland, showed that Irish consumers claim strong support for Irish products, which is currently being backed up by actual purchases.
• 70% of Irish consumers believe it is important that the milk they buy is sourced in the Republic of Ireland (Retail Intelligence, 8th September 2009, undertaken by Empathy Research)   
• In research undertaken in Spring 2009, 81% of consumers said they believed it would be good to see a new label which showed where milk has been farmed. (BMR Business & Market Research Ltd testing Spring 2009)
• In Business & Market Research Ltd testing in August 2009, 41% of grocery shopping mothers admitted that “they never check, but hope that milk is farmed in Ireland.”
• Shown the campaign to support the mark, 62% of consumers immediately picked up on the message that it is “important to support Irish farmers, the Irish dairy industry and Irish products.” 
• The message that “buying milk farmed in the RoI supports the Irish dairy industry” came across very well to 94% of mothers and 84% of non-mothers.
• 89% of those surveyed found the message “persuasive” and “positive” and indicated a preference to choose products bearing the mark in the future.

The National Dairy Council mark gives consumers the assurance that the milk or cream they are buying has been farmed and processed in the Republic of Ireland.

The mark allows consumers in the Republic of Ireland to make more informed choices about supporting nearly 2,200 local farm families and 2,483 jobs in local dairy businesses and therefore also supporting those dairies which contribute not only to our own exchequer, but which also contribute to our own communities through initiatives such as the School Milk & Dairy programme.  The School Milk & Dairy programme provides milk to over 70,000 school children nationwide on a daily basis and is also supported by the EU and the Department of Agriculture and Food.

The National Dairy Council mark is initially being introduced on milk and cream products, which are farmed and processed in the Republic of Ireland and in this, its first phase, it will support 4,676 jobs in the Republic of Ireland.

The 10 co-ops or dairies supporting the NDC mark initiative:

• employ 2,483 people in dairies           

• based in 13 liquid milk & cream dairies, or plants, in the Republic of Ireland - spread over over 10 counties

In the context of supporting jobs on local dairy farms:

• The co-ops or dairies whose milk and cream produce have been licensed by the NDC in the first phase of this initiative support the livelihoods of over 2,193 farmers directly involved in farming liquid milk for the year-round supply of milk and cream on our supermarket or shop shelves

• The co-ops or dairies whose milk and cream produce have been licensed by the National Dairy Council in the first phase of this initiative, are collectively buying approximately 500 million litres of liquid milk annually from dairy farmers in the Republic of Ireland, which is used for the milk and cream produce which will carry the NDC mark

The dairy farmers supported by this mark come from all over the Republic of Ireland. 

There are 13 liquid milk/cream plants in 10 counties which are processing milk and cream which has been licensed to use this mark, as farmed and processed in the Republic of Ireland:

• Arrabawn Co-operative Society Ltd., Kilconnell, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway
• Thurles Fresh Milk/Centenary Thurles Co-operative Society Ltd., Templemore Road, Thurles, Co. Tipperary
• Clóna Dairy Products Society Ltd, Sand Quay, Clonakilty, Co Cork
• Connacht Gold Co-operative Society Ltd. t/a Sligo Dairies, Barnasraghy, Strandhill Road, Sligo
• Dawn Dairies, Renmore, Co. Galway
• Dawn Dairies, Killarney, Co. Kerry
• Donegal Creameries plc, Crossroads, Killygordon, Co. Donegal
• Glanbia plc, Ballitore, Co. Kildare
• Glanbia plc, Old Dublin Road, Drogheda, Co Louth
• Golden Vale Dairies Ltd., Lansdowne, Limerick
• Lee Strand Co-operative Creamery Ltd., Ballymullen, Tralee, Co Kerry
• North Cork Co-operative Creameries Ltd., Strand Street, Kanturk, Co Cork
• Wexford Creamery Ltd., Rocklands, Wexford

This is only ‘phase one’.  This new concept has been developed in consultation with the industry and has involved extensive test marketing and demands time and resources to administrate the licence applications and to audit the applicants.  

Because of the extensive logistics involved, the first phase of the project involves the assessment and licensing of applications for products in the consumer milk and cream categories only, which have been farmed and processed in the Republic of Ireland.  Given the number of different product categories, pack sizes and specifications in the consumer milk and cream category alone, this process involves hundreds of products.    

Milk and cream farmed and processed in the Republic of Ireland is dependent on the domestic market and not generally exported.  In the Republic of Ireland people predominantly consume fresh milk and cream as opposed to in other European countries where products with a longer shelf life/UHT products are also consumed. The sales of milk and cream in the Republic of Ireland account for nearly 50% of the total value of our dairy market.

However it is the intention of the NDC to review the potential expansion of the programme in the future to allow for the application for licences related to other dairy products, such as cheese, butter and yogurt.

The introduction of the NDC trade mark has meant that producers of milk and cream farmed and manufactured in the Republic of Ireland are entitled to apply to the NDC to use this trade mark on specific products, as long as they meet the necessary criteria.

Although it is a new concept, it has received tremendous support from the industry and the majority of dairy businesses in the Republic of Ireland have already applied to and been licensed to carry the National Dairy Council mark - for those milk and cream products which are both farmed and manufactured in the Republic of Ireland.

The dairy businesses who have milk and cream products licensed to carry the mark at this point include:

• Arrabawn Co-operative Society Ltd.
• Centenary Thurles Co-operative Society Ltd.
• Clóna Dairy Products Society Ltd.
• Connacht Gold Co-operative Society Ltd. t/a Sligo Dairies
• Donegal Creameries plc
• Glanbia Consumer Foods (a division of Glanbia plc)
• Dawn Dairies (a division of the Kerry Group)
• Lee Strand Co-operative Creamery Ltd.
• North Cork Co-operative Creameries Ltd.
• Wexford Creamery Ltd.

The National Dairy Council mark can be carried under licence by the National Dairy Council and only on those milk and cream products which are farmed and processed in the Republic of Ireland.  

This relates to cream and whole milk, skimmed milk, semi-skimmed milk, buttermilk, lactose free milk, flavoured milk or fortified milk. The variety of pack sizes and types within this across the ten dairies involved is very extensive, with literally hundreds of different packs involved.

A list of products carrying the National Dairy Council mark is available on this web site

There is a variety of production lines involved in each of the licensed companies, with all of the product categories and pack sizes involved.  It is anticipated product carrying the National Dairy Council mark will begin to appear on shop shelves from mid-October onwards, on a phased basis. 

We would expect the majority of licensed products carrying the mark to be on supermarket shelves by mid-January 2010.

However a full list of products which are licensed to carry the National Dairy Council mark have been posted to this web site www.ndc.ie/NDC-Packaging-Mark/products.asp and will be updated as more lines are added.

Milk and cream products carrying the National Dairy Council mark will be available in all retail outlets which stock products from NDC members – in other words multiples and supermarkets, convenience stories, forecourts and local groceries.

Dairies or processors of milk and cream which is farmed and processed in the Republic of Ireland (and who are members of the NDC) are entitled to apply to the NDC for a licence to use this mark on specific products, as long as they meet the necessary criteria. The National Dairy Council is the legal proprietor of the NDC mark.  Therefore only products licensed by the National Dairy Council may legally carry the National Dairy Council mark.

The National Dairy Council has appointed a Monitoring Committee to monitor and control the trade mark and to ensure conformance to the rules and regulations of the Licence Agreement. 

The Monitoring Committee reviews and assesses licence applications and oversees functions such as independent audits of processing plants in the context of the licence criteria.  All licensees will be subject to audit and the conditions pertaining to the undertaking of this audit are laid out in the terms and conditions of the licence agreement.

The Monitoring Committee is chaired by Ciaran Fitzgerald, formerly Head of Food & Drink at IBEC.  Its members include independent auditor Eileen Morgan, representatives of the NDC Board and Sub-Committees including retail specialist, James Burke and UCD food scientist, Fiona Lalor.  The Chief Executive of the NDC, Helen Brophy, acts as secretary to the Monitoring Committee.

Other members of the Monitoring Committee include Dominic Cronin (ICMSA), Kevin Kiersey (IFA), Eamonn Bray (NMA) and NDC board members Conor Ryan and Frank Tobin.

It can be used on private label products – milk and cream in this first phase - which are farmed and processed in the Republic of Ireland and which meet all of the necessary NDC licensing criteria.

The co-ops whose products are licensed to carry the NDC mark are behind the School Milk & Dairy programme which offers parents and schools the opportunity to have milk provided to their child in school in a cost efficient way.  

The programme is also supported by the EU and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and currently ensures that 70,000 children are consuming at least one of the recommended ‘three portions of dairy a day’ recommended by the Department of Health every day that they attend school.

The School Milk & Dairy programme offers excellent value to parents because the cost of the milk for children is subsidised.  The children receive a top quality product, which of course is a natural source of important nutrients. 

The NDC mark is being introduced initially to milk and cream products at retail level with plans to expand its use and applications. It is the intention of the NDC to have this mark on school milk packaging when packaging lines permit this and hopefully within a year. 

The National Dairy Council is the legal proprietor of the NDC mark.  Only products which are licensed by the National Dairy Council may legally carry the National Dairy Council mark.

Currently licence applications can be made to the NDC to use the mark in relation to specific milk and cream products which are farmed and processed, or manufactured, in the Republic of Ireland, as long as they meet the necessary criteria.  The criteria extend to the variety and traceability of ingredients and therefore it will be the dairy co-op or processor who applies for the NDC licence – not the retailer.

The National Dairy Council has appointed an independent Monitoring Committee to monitor and control the trade mark and to ensure conformance to the rules and regulations of the Licence Agreement.  Companies can find out more by contacting the NDC .