Source of Spar milk?

Deepsouthwest

Local shopkeeper (in west cork) asked how come I never buy his Spar own branded milk instead of the local brands as it's much cheaper? I said that Spar milk is from Northern Ireland, and local milk is guaranteed irish as it has the national dairy council logo (the spar milk doesn't). He said I'm wrong and it all comes from the same factory. Who's right?

gladrags

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

Local shopkeeper (in west cork) asked how come I never buy his Spar own branded milk instead of the local brands as it's much cheaper? I said that Spar milk is from Northern Ireland, and local milk is guaranteed irish as it has the national dairy council logo (the spar milk doesn't). He said I'm wrong and it all comes from the same factory. Who's right?

You have a right to question the source.

Supermkts in the past,have a dodgy record when it comes to source.

How fresh is fresh fish?

Possibly 10 to 20 years old.

Nekarsulm

http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/foodsafetyconsumerissues/dafmapprovedestablishments/

List here of plants supplying dairy produce. I understand these code numbers apply only to the final stage of manufacture/packaging.
So Scottish milk bottled in a Southern plant would have the Southern plants identifier on the cap or wherever.

Having said all that, I am looking at a Mace bottle of milk, and it has numbers on the cap which do not correspond to this list.

Ah, further reading shows that Mace source their milk in Northern Ireland. That's why the code is not on the Dept Ag. list

BenEadir

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

Local shopkeeper (in west cork) asked how come I never buy his Spar own branded milk instead of the local brands as it's much cheaper? I said that Spar milk is from Northern Ireland, and local milk is guaranteed irish as it has the national dairy council logo (the spar milk doesn't). He said I'm wrong and it all comes from the same factory. Who's right?

Is Northern Ireland not "Irish"? What's the big deal?

We buy milk from Northern Ireland and they buy beef from us. It's called international trade.

Are you suggesting we should only buy products from ROI? Do you have any idea what would happen to the ROI economy, farmers included, if people in our target export markets decided to boycott Irish beef, Irish butter or Irish yogurt etc etc because they weren't produced locally?

It's a global economy. Compete or get off the stage

Deepsouthwest

BenEadir wrote: »

Is Northern Ireland not "Irish"? What's the big deal? We buy milk from Northern Ireland and they buy beef from us? Are you suggesting we should only buy products from ROI? Do you have any idea what would happen to the ROI economy, farmers included, if people in our markets decided to boycott Irish beef, Irish butter or Irish yogurt etc etc?

Yes, I have a fair idea as close on 90% of milk produced in Ireland is exportered in different shapes and forms. But that has nothing to do, or still doesn't answer my question. Is spar milk irish?

Nekarsulm

Here are the lists for UK plants.

I see my Mace Milk comes from Strathroy in Omagh.

http://www.food.gov.uk/enforcement/sectorrules/milkandairy

BenEadir

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

Yes, I have a fair idea as close on 90% of milk produced in Ireland is exportered in different shapes and forms. But that has nothing to do, or still doesn't answer my question. Is spar milk irish?

If it's produced on the island of Ireland it's Irish.

Nekarsulm

Just so everybody is clear about the Code letters. Only ever buy butter with the 1025 code.:D


Deepsouthwest, check the code and let us know who is right, you or him!

gladrags

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Here are the lists for UK plants.

I see my Mace Milk comes from Strathroy in Omagh.

http://www.food.gov.uk/enforcement/sectorrules/milkandairy

What about the other 4 big outlets in around the country.?

And is there not some loophole whereby a product can be purhased abroad,
packaged in Ireland,and declared Irish?

Farmer

It's a consumer choice that should be aided by clear labelling.

Milk from north to south is not such a big deal but in some cases globalization is taken too far. Fuel is a valuable resource and excess transportation is heating the planet

ganmo

strange that he's not supporting the local suppliers
stratroy bottle lots of the own brand milk.
if statroy could get that ndc mark on their bottles they would, the last i heard they were looking to get a plant in the south so they could process their southern milk and bottle it with the ndc mark

frazzledhome

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

Local shopkeeper (in west cork) asked how come I never buy his Spar own branded milk instead of the local brands as it's much cheaper? I said that Spar milk is from Northern Ireland, and local milk is guaranteed irish as it has the national dairy council logo (the spar milk doesn't). He said I'm wrong and it all comes from the same factory. Who's right?

You can be absolutely assured if it was RoI milk it would have the NDC logo. No logo not RoI.

Btw whytf are you buying milk and you over quota:)

Nekarsulm

BenEadir wrote: »

If it's produced on the island of Ireland it's Irish.

Well, we have a referendum coming somewhere way down the line on that point!

greysides

frazzledhome wrote: »

Btw whytf are you buying milk and you over quota:)

Dairy herd went down locally with a LOT of reactors. I'm told their biggest worry is not the number lost but the fact they have been drinking their own milk.

frazzledhome

greysides wrote: »

Dairy herd went down locally with a LOT of reactors. I'm told their biggest worry is not the number lost but the fact they have been drinking their own milk.

We're drinking our own, would you not recommend?

greysides

I did it as a lad, years ago. Nothing nicer than milk fresh from a house cow but......

No, I couldn't recommend it without pasteurisation and I believe that affects the taste.

While most of the people will be safe most of the time, all the people won't be safe all the time.

You will only find out too late if you've made the wrong choice. And I can't make it for you.

Google would probably give you a list of diseases that might be picked up..... off the top of my head.... TB, Salmonellosis, Listeriosis ....

Took a look through Google, try this list, it looks reasonable.

awaywithyou

greysides wrote: »

Dairy herd went down locally with a LOT of reactors. I'm told their biggest worry is not the number lost but the fact they have been drinking their own milk.

We drink our own milk.... Have had plenty of reactors down the yrs... Hasn't killed us yet....

greysides

awaywithyou wrote: »

We drink our own milk.... Have had plenty of reactors down the yrs... Hasn't killed us yet....

Had any chest X-rays done?

Been tested for exposure to TB by the skin test?

Ask yourself, why Bovine TB is a notifiable disease and what the reason it was chosen for eradication was.

awaywithyou

greysides wrote: »

Had any chest X-rays done?
No

Been tested for exposure to TB by the skin test?
No

Ask yourself, why Bovine TB is a notifiable disease and what the reason it was chosen for eradication was.

Ask yourself why TB hasn't be eradicated 50 or 60 yrs after eradication scheme was introduced here in republic. Plenty more countries have sorted there TB issues in a few yrs....

greysides

That's a different discussion altogether.

Deepsouthwest

BenEadir wrote: »

If it's produced on the island of Ireland it's Irish.

Ok, I think ur missing the point.

Deepsouthwest

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Just so everybody is clear about the Code letters. Only ever buy butter with the 1025 code.:D


Deepsouthwest, check the code and let us know who is right, you or him!

I always buy the local milk, so I'll have to get the spar milk nxt time. I'll let ye know the code.

_Brian

gladrags wrote: »

What about the other 4 big outlets in around the country.?

And is there not some loophole whereby a product can be purhased abroad,
packaged in Ireland,and declared Irish?

Yes.
From what I remember if 40% of the final value has been added in Ireland it can be as an Irish product.

farmersfriend

frazzledhome wrote: »

We're drinking our own, would you not recommend?

Love the fresh milk. Hate the taste of shop milk.

Farmer Pudsey

The issue with imported milk can be laid back at the doors of the Co-ops. Back in mid/late 90's they started supplyinf own brand milk to supermarkets. At the time 2L jug was 99 pence. At same time they riose the 1L in shops to over 70 pence( I think it was 72p). this created a price gap on 2L of 45p.

At the same time supermarkets were engaging in a bread price war. This left a gap between bread in supermarkets and small shops of 30-50p as well. I remember that going to a supermarket on the way home from work to buy milk and bread twice a week would save 7-8 pounds/week.

The co-op used bully boy tactis on the shops and caused them to lose business. There mantra was that the costs to supply these shops forced these prices. However first Stratroy entered the market and was abble to supply milk to these shops from a longer distance. Then small retail chains such as MACE, Spar Daybreak etc all introduced owm brand milk.

Why are Mace and Spar maybe using NI milk. It down to Co-ops at the end of of the day. They opened the door over 15 yeras ago.

It is really hard choice when you enter the local shop. Do you try to keep them going by buying a few things there(including stratroy milk) or do you go down the road to Tesco and buy there own brand milk which is Irish.

Willfarman

greysides wrote: »

Had any chest X-rays done?

Been tested for exposure to TB by the skin test?

Ask yourself, why Bovine TB is a notifiable disease and what the reason it was chosen for eradication was.

Back in the day when the eradication scheme was being introduced, information meetings were held the length and breadth of the country.
One such meeting in a village in north wexford was well attended. The speaker from the dept of agriculture was in full flow talking about the merits of the scheme and removing the risk of people contracting the disease from milk and beef.. Until ..

An elderly small farmer/labourer who had saw nothing his whole life only hardship and had suffered real hunger in his youth spoke up quietly. "'Twas for the want of some milk and beef people dies of consumption boss" which put the educated speaker speechless for many minutes as people acknowledged an excellent point.

Alf Veedersane

AFAIK, Spar's own brand milk is from Coleraine.

PriceWatch

AFAIK, there are a few suppliers of Spar & Mace own brand milk, depending on what part of the country you are in. Glanbia definitely supply it, Strathroy, Dairyland ,Clona Dairy & Arrabawn also supply it.

al22

Milk is a cow's milk usually unless it is an artificial, like some ice-creams has no milk at all.

micraX

There's a spar at kings inn in Dublin, across the road from the Dublin fruit and veg market. It doesn't sell much fresh produce, but everything in it is from aldi, still in the aldi packaging. Surely that's wrong?

_Brian

micraX wrote: »

There's a spar at kings inn in Dublin, across the road from the Dublin fruit and veg market. It doesn't sell much fresh produce, but everything in it is from aldi, still in the aldi packaging. Surely that's wrong?

It's lazy in the extreme, but what would it be wrong.
It would be worse if they were removing the Aldi packing and passing it off as something else. ?

Count Mondego

greysides wrote: »

That's a different discussion altogether.

Interesting. Can you expand on your thoughts on why it's not improved in 60 years when in Scotland they only test every 3 years? Sorry for derailing but a very important issue.

orm0nd

Count Mondego wrote: »

Interesting. Can you expand on your thoughts on why it's not improved in 60 years when in Scotland they only test every 3 years? Sorry for derailing but a very important issue.

approx 13% of the cost of the bovine tb eradication scheme goes in compensation to the farmers, the rest is administration

easy to see why the scheme is a shambles,

greysides

Count Mondego wrote: »

Interesting. Can you expand on your thoughts on why it's not improved in 60 years when in Scotland they only test every 3 years? Sorry for derailing but a very important issue.

orm0nd wrote: »

approx 13% of the cost of the bovine tb eradication scheme goes in compensation to the farmers, the rest is administration

easy to see why the scheme is a shambles,

Feel free to start a different thread to discuss it.............. as it'll take this one off-track.

Limestone Cowboy

greysides wrote: »

That's a different discussion altogether.

Could you start a thread on this Greysides because I'm intrigued to see this from a vets perspective...

greysides

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Could you start a thread on this Greysides because I'm intrigued to see this from a vets perspective...

No.



Thanks.:D

Deepsouthwest

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Could you start a thread on this Greysides because I'm intrigued to see this from a vets perspective...

Ok lads that's totally off topic. But feel free to start your own thread on tb if u wish. Just don't think u need to be starting on greysides about this, if u have any issues maybe u should start with ur own vet. I for one think we're v lucky to have a vet whose willing to share their opinions on this forum, a valuable contributor, let's hope it stays that way.

Limestone Cowboy

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

Ok lads that's totally off topic. But feel free to start your own thread on tb if u wish. Just don't think u need to be starting on greysides about this, if u have any issues maybe u should start with ur own vet. I for one think we're v lucky to have a vet whose willing to share their opinions on this forum, a valuable contributor, let's hope it stays that way.

I think you picked me up completely wrong there, I am in no way having a cut of Greysides but I have often wondered how we are testing for tb for so long yet we seem to be no closer to having it eridacated, who better to ask than a vet?? I'll say no more about it.

Deepsouthwest

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

I think you picked me up completely wrong there, I am in no way having a cut of Greysides but I have often wondered how we are testing for tb for so long yet we seem to be no closer to having it eridacated, who better to ask than a vet?? I'll say no more about it.

Fair enough, my post wasn't specifically aimed at u, but at people expecting greysides to defend the last 50 yrs of tb eradication in this country. I'd hate if someone like greysides ended up closing their accounts over something as trivial as this, people have closed accounts for a lot less.

Munsterbhoy

PriceWatch wrote: »

AFAIK, there are a few suppliers of Spar & Mace own brand milk, depending on what part of the country you are in. Glanbia definitely supply it, Strathroy, Dairyland ,Clona Dairy & Arrabawn also supply it.

Your quite right, nearly all of the ROI dairys are listed to supply spar/mace own label including strathroy, but strathroy cannot use the NDC logo as their milk is produced in NI and sourced in NI ROI AND GB. Just look for the NDC logo on whatever milk your buying and you are guaranteed thats it from ROI. All strathroy milk will have a UK stamp on the back, they have the contract for topaz own label milk..