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
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Irwin D. Simon
President and Chief Executive Officer