Bord Bia and Teagasc have developed a new Dairy Grass-Fed Standard in conjunction with the dairy industry, which has been approved by the Irish National Accreditation Board (INAB).

According to a Bord Bia spokesperson, the purpose of the standard is to “facilitate the marketing of Irish grass-fed dairy products”.

“The introduction of an approved standard for dairy underpins Ireland’s position as a leader in grass-fed production,” the spokesperson added.

Some details of the new initiative were outlined at an industry briefing today, Thursday, January 30.

It is hoped that the introduction of a standard of this type will “provide verifiable proof and a point of differentiation in a competitive market”.

The European Commission has already been notified of the logo that has been developed to accompany the new standard.

This process required a three-month ‘standstill’ period, the Bord Bia spokesperson explained.

After the standstill period concludes, the ‘Grass-Fed’ logo will be formally launched towards the end of February, and incorporated into Bord Bia’s marketing activities.

The spokesperson went on to outline that, in order for a processor to use a Bord Bia verified grass-fed claim on a product, the milk used must average 95% grass-fed on a fresh weight basis.

Data from the Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme (SDAS) and Teagasc’s grass-fed model was used in the methodology for measurement.

It is expected that 99% of Irish dairy farms will meet the grass-fed threshold.