The elimination of powdered milk to make evaporated milk is not yet a closed chapter. The new dairy regulation (supreme decree 004-2022-midagri) which specifies that only fresh milk should be used for its manufacture, now seeks to be repealed by the congresswoman from Avanza País Patricia Chirinos. For the livestock sector, it is an offensive by the dairy industry to continue using the derivative powder.
“Congress must stop favoring the industry (…) the only thing that leads us to think is that there is a very large lobby”, said the president of the Association of Dairy Farmers of Peru (Agalep) Nivia Vargas before the initiative of Chirinos. Producers support the new regulation, hoping that it will improve the price of milk from their stables, as the industry will no longer be able to use the powder presentation.
The Chirinos bill (1902/2021-CR) calls for the repeal of the regulation, arguing that evaporated milk without powdered milk will generate a series of damages, from the quality, healthiness and price of the final product. Vargas openly disagreed.
A first argument of the project is that the reduction of fat would prevent the transfer of nutrients. Nivia Vargas refutes such thesis, indicating that the regulation itself allows adding a minimum of animal fat to cover the gap. In addition, she maintains that powdered milk loses protein after going through more processes. “With fresh milk we have 91% protein, while with powdered milk we have 79%.”
Regarding the observation of the health of the product, due to the exemption from microbiological specifications, Vargas said that the cattle are periodically checked to rule out diseases such as brucellosis. “We have the certificates of Senasa that happen year after year”.
Price and production
Another argument against the new regulation is the probable increase in the cost of evaporated milk. Vargas – like others ranchers- Maintains that the price of fresh milk is lower than powdered milk, therefore, it should not go up but go down. It also rejects the fact that national farmers cannot supply the dairy industry. He maintains that in a semester they would cover the demand.
Warn project with its own name
Project 1902/2021-CR sought to be debated on Thursday in the plenary session of Congress, without going through the debate in committee. For this, he obtained the support of the spokesmen of Avanza País, Alianza para el Progreso, Fuerza Popular, Perú Libre, Acción Popular and Cambio Democrático. However, the last three stores withdrew their signatures.
Vargas considers that the industry would be behind the marches of the representatives of the glass of milk in Lima.
Source: Larepublica
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