The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) has reported that it has started checking the quality and safety of milk, through the Agency for Phytosanitary and Zoosanitary Regulation and Control (Agrocalidad) and the National Agency for Sanitary Regulation, Control and Supervision (ARCSA). .
The Ministry assured that the controls are also part of the inter-institutional work to suppress smuggling that could take place during the illegal intake of powdered milk or mixing milk with whey.
After this week the Association of Cattle Breeders of Sierra and Oriente (AGSO) condemned that “in 2022, about 620 t of milk powder entered Ecuador, which is equivalent to 5.5 million liters of milk, from Uruguay, Colombia and Peru. Until this entry, the union claims, came despite the fact that there is a law that does not allow the import of milk powder and whey until 2032.
Dairy farmers condemned that 620 tons of milk powder entered the country despite the import ban
Last weekend, Gabriel Espinosa, president of the AGSO, assured that a letter dated June 28 was sent to the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Eduardo Izaguirre, to inform him of the matter. However, he regrets that there was no response.
Meanwhile, according to the State Portfolio, the first controls were carried out in the province of Cotopaxi. There, they toured the facility where the product is packed, which, according to the public’s comments, would contain whey. Several samples were taken, which will be submitted for analysis to the laboratories of Agrokalidad. The results of the analyzes will be submitted to ARCSA, so that it can monitor the complaints of milk producers, MAG explains.
#Cotopaxi | Quality and safety control procedures of the dairy chain. Technicians from @AgrocalidadEC and @Arcsa_Ec samples were taken to check whether the products were in compliance with the regulations.#OurWorkContinues🇪🇨 pic.twitter.com/KFe1VvfWac
— Agriculture and livestock Ecuador 🇪🇨 (@AgriculturaEc) July 12, 2023
These actions are part of MAG’s proposal to verify the compliance of milk with the necessary parameters in terms of quality and safety, thus guaranteeing that the consumer receives the product in optimal conditions.
As part of control operations, technicians visit dairies and collection centers. In addition, in coordination with ARCSA, checks will be carried out in supermarkets, as well as monitoring of importing industries and border controls.
Source: Eluniverso
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