Bord Bia celebrates organic awards

Minister Trevor Sargent and Bord Bia CEO Aidan Cotter presenting a highly commended award for Best Organic Export Product to Flahavans for its Organic Jumbo Oats

In its third annual organic awards, Bord Bia commended the array of products entered as "very impressive" with the most entries in the scheme's three years

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Brand Central

Last month, Bord Bia announced the winners of the third annual National Organic Awards, during the course of National Organic week. The overall national winner was Kelly’s Organics, Mullingar, for its Moon Shine Milk, a bottled, non-homogenised farmhouse milk product. According to judges its superior taste and quality mean it tastes “how milk used to taste.” The product, which also won Best Local Organic Product, is available in farm shops and farmers markets in Co Westmeath and at The Organic Supermarket in Blackrock, Co Dublin.

This year the awards attracted 148 entries from 28 different companies, which is the biggest turnout to date in the scheme’s three years running. Bord Bia commended the array of products put forward as “very impressive.”

Other award-winners included: Glenisk Greek Style Natural Yoghurt for Best Organic Retail Product; St Tola Goats Log for Best Organic Export Product; Dublin-based Sowan’s Organic Gluten Free Real Wholegrain Bread Mix for Best New Organic Product; and Kilkenny’s Drumeen Farm Happy Heart Rapeseed Oil for Best Organic Sustainable Product.

Among the independent judges were Cian Doorley from Musgrave, journalist and food consultant Hugo Arnold, and Darren Grant from The Organic Supermarket.

Speaking at the awards, Minister of State Trevor Sargent said: “Sales of organic food are continuing to grow, increasing year-on-year by 13.2%, reaching a value of €124 million in the year to July 2009. From these encouraging retail figures, it is clear that even in these hard times a considerable number of Irish consumers are buying organic products.”

Bord Bia held over 50 events during National Organic Week to promote organic producers, retailers and farmers markets around Ireland. Teresa Brophy, Ireland market manager, Bord Bia, commented that the events presented “an ideal opportunity or organic producers and processors to organise events at a national and local level to increase consumer awareness of locally produced organic food.”

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