On August 14, 2024, the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine registered the order of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine (МАPF) No. 2033 dated July 11, 2024, which introduces amendments to the requirements for the safety and quality of milk and dairy products, initially approved by the MAPF Order No. 118 of March 12, 2019.

These amendments aim to enhance measures for good manufacturing practices in the production and placing milk and dairy products on the market, contributing to the alignment and implementation of EU legislation in Ukraine's dairy sector.

In particular, new requirements are introduced for raw milk that has not undergone heat treatment and will be marketed as a food directly to the end consumer. This includes specific standards for milk production holdings and the animals from which such milk is obtained. Clear guidelines are established for the places and rules of sale of such milk:

• directly from the dairy farm, from a farm store, from a milk container (tank, reservoir, etc.),
• and from milk vending machines for unpasteurized raw milk. Requirements for milk vending machines for unpasteurized raw milk have also been approved.

Additionally, clear mechanisms are introduced for conducting laboratory tests of raw milk obtained from primary production sites. These tests include checking for residues of antibiotics, determining the freezing point, and testing for alkaline phosphatase levels when examining milk directly after heat treatment.

The order (amendments) also establishes specific functions of the national reference laboratory, whose primary purpose is to provide organizational and methodological guidance, as well as consultative and practical support to the network of laboratories authorized by the Competent Authority to conduct raw milk testing within the Raw milk control program. This is a milestone in strengthening the institutional capacity of the risk-based control system in the dairy sector and enhances its readiness for integration with the European Union milk market.

Please note that the MAPF's order (amendments) No. 2033, dated July 11, 2024, comes into effect on the date of its official publication.

You can find more details about the order (amendments) via the link (in Ukrainian only). 

Reference: A list of laboratories authorized by the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection to conduct raw milk sample testing within the Raw milk control program has recently been published (in Ukrainian only).