New Zealand to set global milk product standards

 

 

The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) has hosted a meeting of dairy-producing nations to develop international standards to support food safety.

NZFSA held the meeting of 60 dairy producing nations in Auckland last week to develop international standards to keep milk products flowing, according to reports. The meeting is the ninth session of the Codex Committee on Milk and Milk Products.

 

Codex is the international food standards-setting agency which develops durable and globally-accepted food standards that protect consumer health and promote fair trade.

 

NZFSA's Science group director Steve Hathaway said Codex food standards are vitally important to consumer safety and New Zealand's economy.

 

New Zealand will be advocating flexible, non-prescriptive international dairy standards that are founded on good science and support technological developments.

 

Hathaway noted recent changes to the international fermented milk standard are an example of the importance of internationally-agreed standards to New Zealand.

 

He added, "Using scientific data, New Zealand was instrumental in convincing the committee to expand the list of ingredients used to make fermented milk products to include dried milk powder, even though fermented milk products are traditionally made from fresh milk.''

 

He said that milk powder is one of the country's dairy industry biggest export earners and the inclusion of dried milk powder has significantly enhanced the ability to maintain market access for this product, like Taiwan.

 

Hathaway is confident the negotiations and agreements reached at the meeting will be of significant benefit to global consumers in assuring food safety, and hopes it will also help facilitate trade for New Zealand's dairy exporters.