Methodological Guidelines on Food Safety and Quality Were Presented for Milk Producers and Small Processing Enterprises
On 17 June, with the support of the Swiss-Ukrainian Programme “Higher Value Added Trade from the Organic and Dairy Sector in Ukraine” (QFTP), the Guidelines for Compliance with Legislative Requirements on Safety and Certain Food Quality Indicators at Small Primary Milk Production Holdings and/or Milk Processing Establishments were presented.
The event brought together more than 350 participants: milk producers, representatives of small dairy enterprises, specialists from the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection (SSUFSCP), educational institutions, Ukrainian and international experts.
These Guidelines have been developed to support small farms engaged in primary milk production, as well as small-sized milk processing enterprises, taking into account the specifics of artisanal production.
The document was prepared by the Association of Milk Producers of Ukraine and the Guild of Artisan Cheesemakers with the support of QFTP.
The Guidelines include:
- advice on how to control hazards during animal husbandry and raw milk production;
- practical recommendations for implementing HACCP procedures;
- requirements for staff, water, equipment, and allergen management;
- logic for hazard analysis;
- recommendations for record keeping;
- a detailed approach to traceability, product recall and withdrawal;
- specifics of employee training.
“These Guidelines are an example of how the state, business, and international partners can create together a high-quality, practical tool. This document is based on the real experience of enterprises working on the production of high-quality artisan products and international recommendations. We understand that the Guidelines will continue to change in line with changes in European legislation. This is another important step towards further European integration of the dairy industry. Ukraine has already adapted many EU norms, but their harmonisation and implementation is still ongoing,” said Natalia Shchirova, Deputy Director of the Department, Head of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Division of the Department of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and Food Security of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine.
Anatoliy Gamza, acting Deputy Head of the Department of the SSFSCPU – Head of the Office of State Control and Accounting of Food Business Operators of the Department of Food Safety and Veterinary Medicine of the SSFSCPU, noted that for almost 10 years now, the legislative field has required the implementation of procedures based on the principles of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point System, HACCP. However, it is the ways of implementing these requirements that remain relevant for small processors. Therefore, the Guidelines will be relevant both for operators of the milk and dairy products market and for specialists of the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection.
Manon Schuppers, international expert of the “Dairy Sector” component of QFTP and Co-CEO of SAFOSO AG, said that good hygiene in the production of milk and dairy products is key to producing quality and safe products.
“The HACCP system has become a recognised international standard for ensuring hygiene in food production, but its classical implementation is a challenge for small and medium-sized enterprises. Therefore, an adapted version of the system, which takes into account the specifics of their work, is more effective for such producers. The Guidelines presented today were inspired by an approach that has long been successfully used in the Swiss dairy sector. In Switzerland, industry representatives came together and jointly developed a system that allows even the smallest dairies in mountainous areas to maintain high hygiene standards,” explained Manon Schuppers.
According to her, this approach was presented by Swiss experts in Ukraine about five years ago. Since then, the Ukrainian QFTP team has made considerable efforts to adapt it to the Ukrainian context and implement it in the presented Guidelines together with representatives of business and government authorities.
Kerstin Jürss, President of the Farmhouse and Artisan Cheese Cheese & Dairy Producers European Network (FACEnetwork), shared her experience in lobbying and recognition of farm and artisan cheese and dairy producers in Europe. Marc Albrecht-Seidel, FACEnetwork Treasurer and Managing Director of the German Artisan Dairy Farmers’ Union, spoke about the European Guidelines for Good Hygiene Practices in the Production of Artisan Cheese and Dairy Products.
The event also featured two discussion rounds on how milk producers and small processors can use the Guidelines with the participation of representatives of the working group. A video of the event is available here (in Ukrainian only).
The text of the guidelines approved by the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine is available here (in Ukrainian only). An infographic on the key developments of the Guidelines is available here (in Ukrainian only).
