Finalists are striving for exceptional performance

QUALITY COMMITMENT AWARD:THREE FINALISTS have been selected for the Supervalu Irish Food Producers' Quality Commitment Award. The aim of this category is to recognise suppliers who demonstrate a "sustained, exceptional performance and commitment to quality, when it comes to manufacturing and delivering their product".

As part of the assessment, each producer was visited by Musgraves’ food safety and quality manager, Ray Bowe, and assessed on their quality control procedures.

Kerrigan’s Mushrooms is a family-owned business based in Co Meath. The company started in 1981 as a small business employing three people and processing 680kg of mushrooms a week. It now employs more than 70, producing more than 45,000kg every week. The company produces prepacked, stuffed, sliced, customised mixes as well as a selection of organic mushrooms.

All mushroom products are grown and packed on the firm’s mushroom farm in Cortown, near Kells, Co Meath, and the production process operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The company has a range of quality control systems in place based on Hazard, Analysis and Critical Control Points (Haccp) and Bord Bia Quality assurance systems at all stages of the production process. The farm uses automatic compost and casing filling equipment, while an automatic watering and humidification system has recently been installed, which has led to significant savings on water. All crops are grown without the use of pesticides, while steam is used to sterilise the growing houses.

Kepak is one of the largest meat producers in Ireland. Founded by Noel Keating almost 30 years ago, the company is still run by the Keating family, and operates from nine sites across Ireland and Britain. The company has a turnover of more than €750 million and employs more than 2,000 people. Kepak has implemented a range of regulatory and quality control measures at all of its sites. All animals are reared in Ireland, and are specially selected for their age and muscle size. The product is deboned and hand trimmed by skilled workers at one of the company’s plants.

After the primary processing stage, it is chilled in a scientifically-advanced chilling compartment where temperature, airflow and relative humidity are regulated to ensure the product retains its succulence.

The third nominee is Follain, a west Cork based food company which produces preserves, jams, salsas and chutneys. The company’s first product, a chunky grapefruit marmalade which was based on a 100-year old recipe, was launched in 1983.

“Follain” is the Irish for wholesome and the company uses 100 per cent natural ingredients, including a minimum of 45 per cent whole fruit.

The business operates from a 7,000sq ft production facility in Macroom, Co Cork, which was built in 2000.