McDONALD'S LOOKS TO GOLDEN COW FOR EMMENTAL

Golden Cow, a Kerry Foods dairy business in Northern Ireland, has supplied emmental cheese slices to McDonald's for the recent ???The M' burger promotion in the UK and Ireland. The company, based at Portadown in County Armagh, supplied the emmental cheese as part of a longstanding relationship with McDonald's restaurants across the British Isles. Golden Cow identified the emmental producer and secured the cheese following an assessment of quality and taste of products from numerous potential sources. Golden Cow ensured high quality standards for the product were achieved before supplying the Emmental slices to McDonald's restaurants for the successful two-month long promotion. The Northern Ireland company, which recently launched its own range of creamy cheddar cheese products, is one of Ireland's best known butter brands. Golden Cow has been an integral part of the McDonald's supply chain since 2004. Kerry Group companies, mostly in Northern Ireland, supply cheese products to McDonald's restaurants across Europe. Golden Cow is one of six Kerry subsidiaries in Northern Ireland. In addition to dairy products, Kerry companies in Northern Ireland produce chicken snack foods, as well as pork and ham products. Two thirds of Northern Ireland's £600 million milk and milk products output is currently sold abroad. It is the region's third biggest food sector in terms of revenue and employment after bakeries and beef but the biggest in terms of sales outside Northern Ireland. Currently a third of output (£174 million) goes to retailers, food service organisations and manufacturers in Great Britain. Food and drink processing is Northern Ireland's biggest manufacturing sector, accounting for 23 per cent of manufacturing sales, 18 per cent of total external sales, and 13 per cent of exports.