World Dairy Summit win for NDC HealthFest advice for teenagers

The National Dairy Council has won an international dairy marketing award, against stiff opposition from France and California.

At the recent World Dairy Summit in Rotterdam, the NDC was presented with the annual Yves Boutonnat IMP (International Milk Promotion) Trophy award, for its HealthFest 2016 initiative to promote dairy for teenagers and healthy living.

The International Milk Promotion group’s 17 member countries nominate entries for the award, and the three finalists selected this year were CNIEL in France, the Dairy Council of California, and the NDC in Ireland.

Healthfest stemmed from the NDC’s analysis of Ireland’s obesity crisis, and myths and misunderstandings around dairy and other food categories.

The NDC teamed up with some of Ireland’s top experts to provide teenagers with information in an engaging and diverse way, in including TV personalities and speakers with scientific backgrounds.

Zoe Kavanagh, CEO of the NDC, said, “We see Healthfest as a critical day for all Irish students. We want them to stop and think about what they are eating and if they are exercising, because we do have a rising obesity issue in Ireland.”

Healthfest is part of an NDC policy to work with the Government on the wider health agenda in Ireland.