UK outlines dried milk amedments
and condensed milk, in line with wider European and international
standards, have been unveiled by the country's Food Standards
Agency (FSA).
The amendments, anounced on Friday, would have three main objectives towards establishing a production standard for the industry in England including:
Setting limits on protein content in dry and condensed milk to 34 per cent, as agreed by the Codex Alimentarius, a body set up by the Food and Agricultural Organisation and the World Health Organisation.
Preventing the use of the term "directly" on definitions of partially and totally dehydrated milk.
Ensuring products comply with European Commission amendment 1925/2006/EC regarding the addition of vitamins and minerals and of certain other substances to foods.
These same recommendations will also be considered separately for the markets of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, to bring all UK nations in line with a standardised European directive, the FSA said. Europe's dairy sector has argued for standardisation for some time, claiming that the EU's failure to introduce it has put the bloc's dairy firms at a competitive disadvantage. Whilst EU member states have until 31 August 2008, the FSA says it hopes to impose the new rules as soon as possible to better asses their affects on the UK dairy industry. Adopting the proposals in England, which are under public consultation until 2 January 2007, will require processors and producers of condensed and skimmed milk powders to amend their operations and sourcing for both domestic and export trade. The FSA hopes to obtain feedback from players throughout the industry on both one off and continuous cost impacts of the changes, as well as any additional concerns regarding training.
