Check out some of the projects and initiatives that we have been working on below. If you would like any additional information or insight on any of the activities that we are involved in, please contact us we would love to hear from you! You can contact us on pr@ndc.ie

Showcasing Dairy Excellence

In January 2020, we launched a national billboard advertising campaign to celebrate Irish dairy farmers producing top-quality milk and dairy products in an environmentally sustainable way.

On a national and global scale, our campaign highlighted what makes our produce so desirable, how our temperate climate, plentiful rainfall and green countryside are incredible assets and provide us with a unique grass-based dairy farming system.

Combined with the expertise and commitment of Irish farmers and their families are vital ingredients in the success of Irish dairy, both at home and abroad.

Only the best shots of Irish agriculture were carefully selected to deliver maximum impact. This appeared on 34 outdoor billboards across the country both in rural and urban areas. It also included 114 carefully selected premium locations across the country.

“Everything Starts with Milk” campaign

Professional rugby sevens star and Love Island winner, Greg O’Shea, has joined forces with one of Ireland’s top female boxers, Kellie Harrington, to support the second year of the “Everything Starts with Milk” campaign.

“Everything Starts with Milk” is a European Milk Forum campaign focused on encouraging Irish consumers to drink more quality milk from Europe.

O’Shea and Harrington were unveiled as ambassadors at an Everything Starts with Milk training day that took place at University College Dublin, which saw one boxing club, one rugby team and one hockey team win the chance to train with O’Shea and Harrington, as well as several members of the Irish women’s hockey team who were also in attendance.

Speaking at the announcement, Greg O’Shea said: “Maintaining a nutritional and well-balanced diet is essential when training to ensure we are performing to our best ability. Dairy plays a crucial part in a balanced diet and I am a great supporter of the sporting benefits gained from drinking milk when it comes to hydration and recovery.”

Falling in love with cheese on Galentine’s Day

On 13 February, we celebrated "Galentine’s Day" in a bid to celebrate the most important women in your life and to promote the second of our three-year EU funded "Cheese your Way" campaign.

Guests and readers of Irish Tatler descended on Café en Seine in Dublin to enjoy a special tasting of four Irish and European cheeses. There was also a special guest for the evening, rugby sevens player and winner of last year’s Love Island Greg O’Shea dropped in and chatted about the loves of his life with influencer and TV presenter James Patrice. All attendees were given a goody bag on leaving with a Sheridan’s Cheese hamper.

Check out some of the photos from the event; See photos here

Dairy Chef 2020

This year’s Dairy Chef finalists have just been announced and will cook it out in Galway later this year in a bid to be crowned the winner of this year’s competition.

The competition, now in its third year, encourages culinary students in top colleges in France and Ireland to create a three-course menu celebrating Irish and French dairy produce. Each dish created must include dairy as the main ingredient or focus of the recipe.

Judges include Paula Stakelum, executive head pastry chef at Ashford Castle and JP McMahon, owner of restaurants and cafés in Galway city. They are joined by Sonia Ezgulian, chef, author and journalist in Lyon, the Embassy of France in Ireland, the National Dairy Council (NDC), the Centre interprofessional de l’économie laitière (Cniel), the Embassy of Ireland in France, the Higher Education Authority and Campus France.

Dairy and cholesterol patient leaflet

At the NDC, we have produced a new patient leaflet to create awareness about dairy and cholesterol.

The leaflet explains how the milk, yogurt and cheese food group can make a nutritious contribution as part of a balanced diet for those wishing to maintain healthy cholesterol levels. The new health promotion leaflet is endorsed by the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute and will be available for health practitioners to share with their patients.

To request your free copy of Dairy & Cholesterol please email us on publications@ndc.ie

Supporting medical students at their "Healthy Heroes" event

Healthy Heroes is a health promotion initiative, run by the Association of Medical Students Ireland (AMSI), which educates children and adolescents on healthy lifestyle habits.

We have been supporting the Healthy Heroes events since 2017 and the most recent event took place in University College Cork, on 27 February.

This event was attended by transition year students from Munster, who took part in a series of interactive workshops on the key pillars of mental health, alcohol awareness and nutrition, NDC’s nutrition manager, ran the workshops on "Nutrition for Health and Wellbeing".

Promoting dairy nutrition

At NDC, we have developed strong links with a number of third level universities and institutes of technology by providing guest lectures to students on topics relating to dairy nutrition.

Undergraduate and postgraduate students at University of Limerick, Galway Mayo Institute of Technology, Athlone Institute of Technology and St Angela’s College Sligo have had the opportunity to hear insights on the latest dairy research through this addition to their curriculum.

The NDC guest lectures examined the nutritional value of dairy and its relationship with cardiovascular health, healthy ageing and sports nutrition. The lecture at GMIT was recorded and will be available to students attending the institute in the coming years.

Sustainable dairy at forefront of UCD Health Week

Students from the BSc Nutrition course ran an awareness campaign on the sustainability of milk. The National Dairy Council were invited to support the event by providing resources from their Sustainable Dairy EU-funded campaign. These resources focus on communicating what Irish farmers are doing to be more sustainable and the nutritional value of Irish dairy as part of a sustainable diet. The NDC also supported a prize-draw at the event by providing cook books, which showcase the versatility of dairy.

Moo Crew National School Milk Week Challenge

Over 200 national schools took part in the Moo Crew National School Milk Week Challenge from 2 to 6 March.

Children were encouraged to measure their daily dairy intake and physical activity levels for the week to determine if they are meeting their recommended daily servings of dairy and physical activity levels. Schools taking part in the initiative have received challenge packs for all children including stickers, pencils classroom posters and challenge sheets.

The National Dairy Council is pleased to announce a new initiative under First 5 for preschools under which targeted School Milk trials will be conducted in 12 early learning and care settings in Carlow and Kilkenny in February and March 2020.

This initiative is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine under the EU’s School Milk Scheme. During the three weeks' trials, the preschool children will be given a daily serving of milk.

In addition, the children will receive the benefit of bespoke educational resources which have been developed to support the pilot and its objectives, including Moo Crew booklets, posters, journals, stickers and jigsaws – emphasising the benefits of dairy as part of a bone and tooth friendly diet and lifestyle; and the importance of understanding the Grass to Glass story. Children will also receive a visit from a farmer and Milly the Cow.

For more information, visit www.moocrew.ie