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EXHIBIT 31.1

     CERTIFICATION  I, Irwin D. Simon,  certify  that:

1. I have  reviewed this
annual  report on Form 10-K of The Hain  Celestial  Group,  Inc.;

2. Based on my
knowledge,  this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact
or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light
of the circumstances  under which such statements were made, not misleading with
respect to the period  covered by this  report;

3. Based on my  knowledge,  the
financial  statements,  and other financial information included in this report,
fairly  present in all material  respects the  financial  condition,  results of
operations  and cash  flows  of the  registrant  as of,  and  for,  the  periods
presented in this report;

4. The registrant's other certifying officer and I are
responsible for establishing and maintaining  disclosure controls and procedures
(as defined in Exchange Act Rules  13a-15(e) and  15d-15(e))  for the registrant
and have:

        (a) Designed such disclosure  controls and procedures,  or caused such
disclosure  controls and  procedures to be designed  under our  supervision,  to
ensure that  material  information  relating to the  registrant,  including  its
consolidated subsidiaries,  is made known to us by others within those entities,
particularly  during  the  period in which this  report is being  prepared;
        (b)
Evaluated  the  effectiveness  of  the  registrant's   disclosure  controls  and
procedures and presented in this report our conclusions  about the effectiveness
of the disclosure  controls and procedures,  as of the end of the period covered
by this report based on such  evaluation;  and
        (c)  Disclosed in this report any
change in the  registrant's  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  that
occurred during the  registrant's  most recent fiscal quarter (the  registrant's
fourth  fiscal  quarter  in the case of an annual  report)  that has  materially
affected,  or is  reasonably  likely  to  materially  affect,  the  registrant's
internal  control  over  financial  reporting;  and

5.  The  registrant's  other
certifying officer and I have disclosed,  based on our most recent evaluation of
internal control over financial reporting,  to the registrant's auditors and the
audit committee of the  registrant's  board of directors (or persons  performing
the  equivalent  functions):
        (a)  All  significant  deficiencies  and  material
weaknesses  in the  design or  operation  of  internal  control  over  financial
reporting  which are  reasonably  likely to  adversely  affect the  registrant's
ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information;  and
        (b)
Any fraud, whether or not material,  that involves management or other employees
who have a significant role in the registrant's  internal control over financial
reporting.

Date: September 26, 2003

/s/_Irwin D. Simon____________________
Irwin D. Simon
President and Chief Executive Officer