The infant formula sector grows at around 10% per year worldwide and represents a significant opportunity for the Irish dairy industry in meeting its own growth forecasts, Woulfe wrote in Animal Health Ireland’s CellCheck May newsletter.

He described the Irish dairy industry as a “core supplier to the infant formula sector over many years”.

“A key feature of this relationship has been the development of effective partnerships and the ability to meet the exacting and demanding quality standards that the sector requires,” Woulfe said.

Around 15% of infant milk formula traded internationally is now manufactured in Ireland and three of the world’s largest infant nutrition companies – Abbott, Wyeth and Danone – operate manufacturing facilities in Ireland.

The Limerick native also added that it is essential to “recognise quality in its broadest sense to include food safety, overall milk quality parameters, on-farm standards and sustainable grass-based milk production systems”.

Improving milk quality

Dairygold’s chief executive identified a number of areas as playing a central role to Ireland’s success in the infant formula industry, citing “the investment by the industry in world-class facilities that meet all regulatory and compliance standards and deliver products of the highest quality from facilities that are among the most efficient globally.”

He also highlighted quality monitoring and improvement programmes involving farmers and advisory agencies such as Teagasc programmes, the Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme (SDAS) and Cellcheck.

“Consistently providing the right quality milk is fundamental to the Irish dairy industry’s success in supplying the infant formula industry – a sector where any aspect of the supply chain cannot afford a ‘first mistake’,” Woulfe said.

“To deliver a real and unique value premium to Irish dairy farmers, we must protect and promote the reputation, quality, taste and nutritional credentials of our grass-based and sustainable Irish dairy produce.”

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Ireland supplies 10% of all global infant milk formula – Bord Bia