IRISH GRASS-FED

What do we mean when we say our products are made
with milk from Irish grass-fed cows?

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• The milk used in Kerrygold products is sourced from Irish dairy cows; cows registered on farms on the island of Ireland.

  Ornua is the proud owner of Kerrygold™. Ornua is an Irish dairy co-operative which markets and sells dairy products on behalf of its members; Ireland’s dairy processors and, in turn, Irish dairy farmers. Ornua buys milk for its Kerrygold products from its members, who in turn, buy all their milk from farmers in their area.

  

• When it comes to dairy, Ireland has a unique advantage, its temperate climate, abundant rainfall and tradition of family farming have resulted in a grass-fed system with typical Irish dairy cows grazing outdoors on rich grass for the majority of the year.

  Ornua is a verified member of Bord Bia’s Origin Green food and drink sustainability programme which is underpinned by the Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme (SDAS).

  The SDAS is Ireland’s national dairy scheme setting out practice on Irish dairy farms in the areas of animal health and welfare, land management, biosecurity, safe farming practices and the production of safe milk.

  

• To maintain the health and wellbeing of the animals, Irish dairy cows are typically cared for indoors during the winter months and during bad weather conditions.

  Typically, in Ireland, dairy cows are cared for indoors from November to February.

  

• During Ireland’s winter months and during bad weather conditions , a typical Irish dairy cow still enjoys a predominantly grass-based diet. They eat silage, which is fermented, high-moisture fodder cut from summer grass and stored for winter feeding.

  Typically, in Ireland, dairy cows are cared for indoors from November to February.

  Reference: O’Brien, D., Moran, B. and Shalloo, L. (2018). A national methodology to quantify the diet of grazing dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science, 101(9), 595-8604

  

• Throughout the year, to ensure optimum health of the animals, a typical Irish dairy cow’s grass-based diet also includes a very small amount of supplementary feed. This is used to give the cows a healthy and balanced blend of nutrients, providing them with protein, energy, fibre and micronutrients.

  Ornua is a verified member of Bord Bia’s Origin Green food and drink sustainability programme which is underpinned by the Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme (SDAS).

  The SDAS is Ireland’s national dairy scheme setting out practice on Irish dairy farms in the areas of animal health and welfare, land management, biosecurity, safe farming https://kerrygold.com practices and the production of safe milk. 

  Reference: Please see 3.5 ‘Animal Feeds’ of the Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme Producer Standard for more information.