FDBusiness.com

TINE, Norway’s largest farmer-owned dairy co-operative, is planning to construct a new Jarlsberg cheese production facility in Ireland. The project will see TINE form a partnership with Dairygold, the Irish dairy co-operative, to develop the new production facility alongside Dairygold’s existing speciality cheese facility at Mogeely in County Cork. Production of cheese is planned to commence in 2019. The Irish Government through Enterprise Ireland will support the development.

Jarlsberg® is a mild, semi-soft cow’s milk cheese of Norwegian origin which resembles Swiss Emmental cheese with distinctive, open and irregular ‘eyes’. Jarlsberg® is often marketed as a Swiss cheese because of its characteristics, though it tends to be sweeter and stronger than Emmental. Beneath the yellow-wax rind of Jarlsberg® is a semi-firm yellow interior that is buttery, rich in texture with a mild, nutty flavour.

TINE has operated a Jarlsberg® partnership with Dairygold in Ireland for over ten years.

Having undertaken a strategic review of Norwegian export of Jarlsberg®, TINE decided to invest in Ireland and to further strengthen the sales and marketing of Jarlsberg in international markets.

TINE Chairman Trond Reierstad, chairman of TINE, says: “TINE currently supplies international markets with TINE branded products produced in Norway, the USA and by Dairygold in Ireland. Currently TINE exports approximately 10,000 tons of Jarlsberg® products from Norway annually. Jarlsberg® for the Norwegian market will continue to be manufactured in Norway.”

Jim Woulfe, chief executive of Dairygold, comments: “Dairygold is pleased that TINE has chosen to invest in a new Jarlsberg® production facility in Mogeely in partnership with Dairygold. Dairygold currently produce Jarlsberg® cheese for TINE in Mogeely, under a relationship that goes back over ten years. The proposed new investment will enable TINE and Dairygold to further develop what is already a strong relationship between the two like-minded farmer-owned businesses.”