A Milestone for SALSA in Ireland

We’re delighted to share a major SALSA milestone. Ocras (Dining with Dignity) is the first business in the Republic of Ireland to achieve SALSA Approval, demonstrating how small producers can operate to the highest food safety standards while delivering products that genuinely improve lives.  

Based in West Cork, Ocras produces frozen meals specifically designed for people with swallowing and chewing difficulties, supplying hospitals, care homes and individuals at home. Their mission is rooted in dignity, nutrition and wellbeing, ensuring that people with dysphagia can enjoy food safely and confidently. We talked to Niamh Condon, Founder of Ocras, Dining with Dignity. From the outset, she chose SALSA as the foundation for their food safety systems. Niamh explained:

“We wanted to build OCRAS on a foundation of trust, transparency, and uncompromising food safety.”

Operating within healthcare settings, it was vital that their certification framework matched both their values and the realities of running a small but specialist production facility:

“SALSA offered exactly the kind of rigorous, practical, and scalable framework we needed.”

Since achieving SALSA Approval, the impact on the business has been clear. Certification has strengthened trust with healthcare partners and supported growth beyond Ireland:

“It has validated the systems and values we’ve built from the ground up — from our clinical approach to texture modification to our commitment to operational excellence.”

SALSA Approval has also supported conversations with UK buyers and NHS Trusts, giving new partners confidence in Ocras’ food safety systems, traceability and consistency.

Advice from Niamh to other producers considering SALSA:

• Use SALSA as a business improvement tool, not just a certificate
• Build on the good practices you already have
• Work through the Standard in manageable sections
• Ask for support when you need it

As Ocras put it:

“SALSA is one of the best investments a small producer can make.”

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