UKR/192/Add.1
WTO/SPS
UA Ukraine
  • 67 - Food technology
2023-01-06
2022-11-08

Milk and dairy products

Draft Order of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine "On Amendments to the Order of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine of 12 March 2019 No. 118" "On Approval of the Requirements for Safety and Quality of Milk and Dairy Products"

The Order of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine of 12 March 2019 No. 118 "On Approval of the Requirements for the Safety and Quality of Milk and Dairy Products" (hereinafter the Order, notified as G/SPS/N/UKR/192) establishes unified requirements for raw milk at the place of primary production and/or storage of milk in terms of permissible levels of criteria. These requirements foresee that the number of microorganisms do not exceed more than 500 ths. cfu/ml and the number of somatic cells do not exceed 500 ths./ml, and shall apply to all operators of the milk and dairy products market since 1 January 2020.

On 1 January 2023, the current version of the Order provided for the next stage and revision of existing levels of these criteria till 300 ths. cfu/ml and 400 ths. cfu/ml respectively. In order to comply with the Requirements of the Order, milk processing enterprises must refuse to accept and purchase first-class milk beginning from 1 January 2023.

Today, according to the statistical data of the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, the share of first‑class milk is 34.6%. In terms of raw milk suppliers, the share of first-class milk is significant - from agricultural enterprises - 24.8%, from households - 75.2%.

To avoid potential increase in prices for dairy products caused by the shortage of raw materials, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food developed the draft Order "On Amendments to the Order of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine of 12 March 2019 No. 118", which provides for the postponement of the phased application of the permissible levels of criteria for the relevant periods from the date of termination or cancellation of martial law. Namely, the deadline from 1 January 2023 is postponed for one year from the date of termination or cancellation of martial law, and the deadline for full compliance with the requirements from 1 January 2024 is postponed for two years from the date of termination or cancellation of martial law.