“Thanks to the dedicated work of minister of agriculture, Norbert Totschnig, a long-awaited milestone was set for farmers in Austria. Consumers can finally be certain of the origin of many of the foods that they eat out of the home every day. With the regulations on voluntary labeling in community catering, we are also making the catering industry responsible,” says the president of the Farmers’ Association, Georg Strasser.

Around 2.2 million meals and thus almost two-thirds of the meals eaten outside Austrian homes every day are consumed in public or private canteen kitchens.

“We tried to find a good solution for everyone involved. The canteens are also very interested in consistent labeling, which the regulation corresponds to. Every guest must be able to see at first glance, where the schnitzel, butter or fried egg comes from. We can guarantee this through mandatory controls,” Strasser says.

The post Austrian regulations set to start appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

The government has today (11 July) outlined more detail on regulations set to come into force later this year which will ensure supply contracts in the dairy sector are fair and transparent, with farmers being paid a fair price for their produce.

• Farmers have clearer pricing terms, with contracts setting out the factors which generate the milk price and allowing farmers to challenge prices if they feel this process isn’t being followed. This is a major advance in transparency, which ensures fairer pricing and addresses historical discrepancies in the dairy industry.
• Changes to contracts can’t be imposed on farmers without their agreement, providing stability and trust in the supply chain. This will encourage dialogue between the parties where changes do need to be made – improving trust within the supply chain.
• Farmers’ contracts will all include a straight-forward way to raise concerns about their contracts, promoting accountability and timely issue resolution.
• There will be clear rules put in place on notice periods and contractual exclusivity, protecting the rights of both buyers and sellers. This will remove any ambiguity from contracts and protect the rights of both buyers and sellers.
• An enforcement mechanism is created to guarantee the regulations are followed, ensuring a fully fair and transparent dairy industry on a solid foundation to thrive in the future.

The post New regulations set to promote fairness and transparency across the dairy sector appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

Meanwhile, Day 2 speaker slots are now completely filled, so time is running short to get your space. If you wish to review the remaining times available and book your 30 minute slot, please reach out to sam@bellpublishing.com. Don’t miss out!

To learn more about the Dairy Industries Expo and register your attendance, please visit the dedicated website.

The post The excitement is building for Dairy Industries Expo 2023 appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

In a federal survey, a 1% increase in participation in the central animal welfare requirement BTS/RAUS was registered in 2022. Currently, 91% of dairy farms meet these requirements and 95% of the dairy cows are included.

As cheese milk producers also have registered for the Grüner Teppich, animal welfare in Swiss milk production will continue to increase in 2023.

Participation in the BTS and RAUS programmes is a central element of the first phase of the Grüner Teppich.

The post Animal welfare up in Switzerland appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

In Africa, Arla’s Kaduna dairy farm recently took delivery of 216 Danish Holstein heifers in Nigeria, The Nation reports. The farm is set to open later this month, and is the first state of the art facility in the country, with space for 400 milking cows. Production should commence in the third quarter of 2023. Arla has been involved in Nigeria for years, and earlier this year, it signed a new five-year memorandum of understanding, further committing to it helping and developing the local dairy sector in the country.

In India, dairy giant Amul has opened a research laboratory for the testing of organic products of all types. As the industry there becomes more organised, Amul is leading the way with food safety testing in the organic sector.

In multinational news, Danone is seeing positive prospects as China reopens post-pandemic, according to its first quarter 2023 report. A recovery in tourism and hospitality, along with a reopening economy, may aid dairy demand, which is Danone’s second largest market, after the US.

Here in the UK, Dairy Crest’s Davidstow creamery is looking to expand production at its Camelford site, and has applied for a permit variation to the UK’s Environment Agency to up its output to 11.4 tonnes per hour from 9.6 tonnes. This site was fined in 2022 for environmental offenses, and part of the application is to update operations and make improvements, including to the treatment works. (via southwestfarmer.co.uk)

• Suzanne Christiansen, editor, Dairy Industries International.
  Keep in touch via email: suzanne@bellpublishing.com
  Twitter: @dairyindustries or LinkedIn: Dairy Industries International magazine

The post Dairy developments all over the world appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

With the increasing demand for organic food products in India, there is a growing need for advanced laboratories dedicated to organic food testing. Organic food is produced without the use of synthetic fertilisers, pesticides, and other chemicals. To meet these demands, an advanced laboratory for organic food testing plays a crucial role in verifying the organic integrity of food items.

The laboratory employs various testing methodologies and techniques to detect the presence of pesticides, heavy metals, and other contaminants. It ensures that organic food products adhere to national and international organic standards, enhancing consumer confidence and protecting public health.

This is the first dedicated lab by Amul for organic testing and supporting organic producers.

The organic industry relies on consumer trust and confidence. Organic testing laboratories play a pivotal role in building trust by providing reliable testing results and ensuring that organic claims are backed by scientific evidence. By upholding the integrity of organic products, the laboratory supports market demand for organic produce, benefiting both farmers and the industry as a whole.

Amul moved into the organic business in May 2022 with the launch of Amul Organic Atta. Over the past year, Amul has expanded its organic product portfolio to include products such as organic basmati rice, toor dal, chana dal, masoor dal, moong, rajma, besan and kabuli chana. A range of other organic products are in the pipeline.

The lab equipment includes a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS), liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometer (LC-MS), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), among other items.

This equipment will help identify and quantify organic compounds in food samples, such as pesticides, herbicides and other organic contaminants, along with trace elements and heavy metals in food samples, and mycotoxins, additives and preservatives. 

The post Amul opens organic testing laboratory  appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

For its part, Penmann will be exhibiting at the Dairy Industries Expo in partnership with global French company Clauger, manufacturers of the Clauger Rapid Cooling Cell. Both companies are experts in the field of rapid cooling for the Dairy Industry and will be showcasing their Rapid Cooling Solution for Palletised and/or Racked Products.

Appointed by Clauger to represent their business in the UK, Penmann’s technical excellence and system design experience provide the perfect partnership. Together their expertise and products combine to present a highly effective and energy efficient solution for the rapid cooling of products.

The Clauger Rapid Cooling Cell saves energy and increases product efficiency offering the Diary Industry a viable alternative to traditional blast chilling systems. If your business depends on rapid cooling for palletised products, please visit Stand M8 to see a working Cell in operation.

The Cell operates by forming a tight seal around your product therefore ensuring all air and energy goes directly into cooling your product as opposed to bypassing it. It can cool a wide range of products across a variety of pallet/rack heights, and in some cases, achieve pay back in less than two years.

With rapid cooling a critical step in dairy processing the Clauger Cell can reduce some product cooling times to less than an hour to get below 5 degrees.

Rapid cooling is also an essential step due to its impact on product quality, uniformity, and shelf life. The benefits associated with rapid cooling are measurable with positive impacts on intrinsic product quality, reduced required storage area, and the possibility for just-in-time management.

With over 47 years’ experience in designing and installing product cooling systems for the food industry Penmann has unrivalled expertise in the sector and thorough knowledge of what works.

Penmann’s expertise in dairy is evidenced by the number of high profile, household brands, that have benefitted from its technical excellence, including Arla, Müller, Village Dairy, Rachel’s Organic, Unique Dairy, Nestlé and Dale Farms.

Clauger is a global leader in rapid cooling for the dairy industry and has been developing industrial refrigeration products for more than 50 years with solutions ranging from low-temperature refrigeration systems to refrigeration for processing, such as rapid cooling. With over 3,000 Cooling Cells operational worldwide it’s a powerful argument for taking a closer look at the technology surrounding it.

Gain further insights into this unique partnership by attending the Penmann and Clauger lecture in the speaker theatre at 12.40pm on 4 October.

Freeze dryer for the environment

Meanwhile, Cuddon is joining us from New Zealand. The Blenheim-based engineering firm has recently posted another world first, using carbon dioxide in a new, more environmentally friendly freeze dryer. Cuddon is the only freeze dryer manufacturer in the southern hemisphere and have been producing freeze dry systems for 60 years. It has built, shipped and installed more than 450 freeze dryers globally.

After years of development, the pioneering machine, named Sophie by Cuddon staff, is tipped to make a huge impact on the industry. Freeze dry manager Helen Ashworth says the new design is better in every way, with a shorter cycle time and being better for the environment. “We didn’t realise how good it [CO2] would be,” she says. “The gas has more grunt than we realised.”

Cuddon chief executive Terry Duff says the new freeze dryer design is a game changer. Globally the use of CO2 as a refrigerant is becoming more common, but engineering challenges required significant design work, he says. Along with being environmentally friendly, the new design has a 30 per cent higher product capacity, a shorter drying cycle and operational energy savings.

“We are excited to be leading the charge with the CO2 Freeze Dryer, a game changer for our customers around the world as we continue the Cuddon tradition of being at the forefront of innovation and now striving for sustainable quality engineering solutions,” Duff says.

The new CO2 Cuddon freeze dryer will be showcased globally this year at the European Foodex, the American Dairy Producers Institute, along with out Dairy Industries Expo in the UK.

Boiling to succeed

Byworth Boilers for its part has recently installed a four-roll machine with larger capacity rollers, enabling it to enhance productivity and substantially increase its production capacity. With this addition to the facility, it can now take on more projects, deliver faster turnaround times, and ensure even higher quality standards for its valued clients.

“We believe that investing in advanced technology is key to staying competitive in today’s fast-paced, ever-evolving industry landscape. Our team is excited to harness the power of the Davi Promau 4 roll machine to continue exceeding customer expectations and driving our business forward,” the company says.

The post DII Expo Preview appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

New global guidance from BSI, developed through consensus with industry giants including Walmart, McDonald’s, PepsiCo, HelloFresh, Kerry Foods and 3M, and published this week, identifies that the common factor in food safety incidents, quality failures and recalls is people rather than failures of machinery or technology. Equally, when issues occur, people are the key to avoiding recurrence.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), consuming contaminated food results in an estimated 600m people falling ill every year, leading to 420,000 deaths. A desire to tackle this led to a round-table discussion at the 2019 International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) Annual Meeting, then ultimately the creation of an industry steering group. The resulting document, Developing and sustaining a mature food safety culture (PAS 320), is designed to guide organizations of all sizes across food, beverage and retail to create a culture where people are prioritized, all employees embrace food safety, take responsibility for reporting issues, and are empowered to initiate change.

Relevant to anyone from manufacturers and factory workers to restauranteurs and baristas, the guidance has been published by BSI following extensive sector discussion on food safety culture, including what it is, how to measure it and how to ensure continuous improvements. The document defines food safety culture as the ‘shared values, beliefs and norms that affect mindset and behaviour toward food safety in, across and throughout an organization’.

It notes that creating and maintaining a strong culture that preserves quality and reduces risk requires management commitment and a mindset that safety is the responsibility of everyone at every stage of the food supply chain. Culture is also highlighted as key for employee retention, improving quality and decreasing contamination risk by decreasing turnover rate.

PAS 320 includes steps on identifying gaps and then implementing a plan for change. It makes recommendations related to leadership; the organization’s vision, mission, values and policy; organizational structure; responsibilities, accountabilities and authorities; guiding coalition team; interested parties; change champions; influencers; and food safety documentation. The guidance also includes advice on how prioritizing people in the sector not only supports improved food safety, but also brings other benefits including investment return, business performance improvement, reduction of the costs associated with poor quality, and enhanced efficiency.

In the UK, this comes in the wake of the passing of ‘Natasha’s Law’, which requires organizations providing food to include full ingredients labelling on pre-packed for direct sale foods in order to protect allergy sufferers and give them confidence in the food they buy. It follows the UK’s departure from the European Union, which means that packaging and labelling is now led in the UK by the Food Standards Agency.

Neil Coole, director, Food and Retail Supply Chains, at BSI, said: “A positive food safety culture that prioritizes people and gives everyone a stake in driving quality can have a transformative effect and help reduce the risk that comes from unsafe food. This starts with leadership taking steps to turn ambition into action in order to build and sustain continuous improvements across their organization and the wider supply chain.

“Ultimately, moving from seeing food safety culture as a compliance issue to an investment in people can offer huge benefits for individuals, organizations and society as a whole.”

Scott Steedman, director general, Standards, BSI, said: “It is tragic that so many lives are lost globally every year to contaminated food. This is something nobody in the industry can ignore and urgent steps to change this are required. We understand that the common factor in food safety related risks is people, and it is an organisations culture towards food safety that presents the opportunity for continuous improvement. PAS 320 provides the guidance to empower people to make a positive impact on the future of the food industry.

“Enabling a robust food safety culture is vital for enhancing quality and safety across the food sector. Strengthening understanding of what best practice looks like and how everyone in the food sector can play a role, by enhancing global consistency and offering clarity, can help food sector organizations accelerate change and support the realization of quality and food safety ambitions. This new standard on food safety culture can build confidence in the global food industry and offer long-term benefit for everyone.”

The post BSI launches new standard for avoiding food contamination appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

Published in The British Medical Journal (BMJ), the study included an analysis of the health and nutrition claims made on infant formula products in 15 countries, and the validity of the evidence used to support them.

More than 750 products were assessed that made 31 different types of health claims. The most common assertions were benefits of brain development, immunity, and growth in young infants, and most claims were backed by little or no high quality scientific evidence, according to the report.

“Health and nutrition claims about infant formula are controversial because they can enhance the perceived benefits of formula over breastfeeding and thereby undermine breastfeeding,” the researchers said, noting that human breast milk is the optimal source of infant nutrition.

Popular ingredients, weak evidence, trial bias, and industry affiliation

To highlight the benefits promised, the researchers said the products they studied tended to cite popular ingredients such as long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics, and hydrolysed protein.

The study found that of the products with at least one health claim, 74% did not provide any scientific reference to support the claim and 26% did provide support. However, not all references were equal. Some linked back to findings from clinical trials, but many others only linked back to reviews, opinion pieces, or other types of unscientific research.

Additionally, 90% of the claims that cited registered clinical trials carried a high risk of bias. And 88% of the registered trials were authored by people who either “received formula industry funding or were directly affiliated with industry,” the researchers said.

“Despite previous attempts to change the landscape of infant formula marketing undertaken by multiple reputable organisations, […] progress in regulating infant formula claims is slow,” they said.

“Although advances have been made in implementing mandatory compositional and information requirements for infant formula, transparency is still lacking about health and nutrition claims linked to infant formula.”

The researchers said that the findings of the study “strengthen [their] previous call for a ban on health and nutrition claims for breast milk substitutes.”

‘Exploitative’ formula marketing: Calls for greater regulation

This report adds to a growing list of concerns about the lack of regulation in the infant nutrition industry. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently assessed the impact of infant formula marketing strategies around the world.

A new three-paper series published in The Lancet also researched the “exploitative” formula marketing tactics driven by political interference and industry lobbying that “seriously jeopardizes the health and rights of women and children.”

“It is clear that most parents are exposed to formula marketing during pregnancy or the postnatal period and are often misled by claims,” the authors of the BMJ study said.

“We have previously suggested that health and nutrition claims for products regarded as breast milk substitutes should not be permitted. These products are so important for the infants who need them, and any true advances in breast milk substitute composition should be made available to all infants receiving relevant products,” they said.

Much of the recent research recommends greater support for breastfeeding where possible, including through improvements to healthcare and social protection systems like guaranteed paid maternity leave.

“We have identified a high prevalence of claims on infant formula products in multiple countries that seem to have little or no scientific substantiation,” the BMJ researchers concluded.

“These findings support calls for a revised regulatory framework for breast milk substitutes to better protect consumers and avoid the harms associated with aggressive marketing of such products.”

The post Study reveals unfounded health claims on most infant formulas appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a “no questions letter” in response to Glycom A/S*’s notification, delivered on behalf of DSM, that its 3-FL HMO – marketed as GlyCare 3FL 9000 or 9001 – is Generally Recognised as Safe (GRAS) for use in a number of early life nutrition applications and conventional foods (GRAS Notice No. 1037). Notably, the maximum permitted use level of DSM’s 3-FL HMO is 0.75 g/L in non-exempt term infant formula and 0.90 g/L in formula and drinks for young children as consumed – nearly twice as high as the maximum use level that is GRAS in the US for other 3-FL ingredients in the same food categories. The greater use level was authorised by the FDA as a result of DSM’s recent analysis of HMO concentrations in global pooled (secretor and non-secretor) human milk by lactation stage.

It has previously been demonstrated that 3-FL concentrations increase over the course of lactation, whereas concentrations of most other HMOs decrease over time. However, DSM’s review specifically reports that 3-FL concentrations are already increased two-fold from colostrum to three-month mature milk. Thus higher levels of DSM’s 3-FL in infant nutrition products were determined to be GRAS as these provide formula-fed infants with nutrition that is closer to the composition of breast milk over the course of lactation, independent of secretor status.

In Australia, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has included 3-FL in the latest update to its Therapeutic Goods (Permissible Ingredients) Determination. This permits the use of 3-FL as a complementary medicine ingredient in listed medicines, such as dietary supplements. Specifically, 3-FL has been recommended for oral use at a maximum daily dose of 2 g for infants and young children aged 0-3 years and 5 g for individuals 4 years of age and older. As the first HMO manufacturer to apply for the addition of 3-FL to listed medicines in the country, DSM has secured exclusivity for this use for a period of two years.

HMOs are a unique component of human breast milk with important benefits for immunity, gut health and potentially cognitive development. DSM’s science-backed GlyCare HMO portfolio is available for use in more than 160 countries worldwide. Following the successful authorisation of its first manufactured HMOs, 2’-fucosyllactose (2′-FL) and lacto-N-neotetraose (LNnT) in several markets globally, DSM has since launched difucosyllactose (DFL), lacto-N-tetraose (LNT), 3’-sialyllactose sodium salt (3′-SL) and 6’-sialyllactose sodium salt (6′-SL). At present, all six HMO products have secured market authorisation as new ingredients in foods in six markets, including the European Union, United Kingdom, United States, Russia, Israel and Singapore. 3-FL will be DSM’s seventh HMO ingredient to gain international authorisation.

“At DSM, we’re always looking for new ways to support the health of people globally, whether that’s through quality ingredients, innovative solutions or cutting-edge technologies. HMOs are a powerful emerging ingredient capturing increasing attention across the health and nutrition space – especially in the infant nutrition market,” says Christoph Röhrig, head of HMO regulatory at DSM. “There are more than 150 identified HMOs in human breast milk and what’s interesting is that the science behind these unique nutrients is only just emerging. The discoveries have been incredibly positive so far, but there is still a lot to be uncovered regarding the potential health benefits and applications of HMOs – which is extremely exciting! Consequently, it’s anticipated that HMO solutions will continue to breakthrough onto the market as the industry learns more about the role these ingredients play in human health.”

Marta Mikš, senior regulatory & scientific affairs manager at DSM adds: “As a leader in HMO research, development and manufacture, DSM is continuously looking at how it can pioneer advancements in the space and expand its HMO offering. 3-FL is a highly abundant HMO in human breast milk and was therefore an important ingredient for us to develop and add to our growing portfolio. The approval of 3-FL in these two important markets is another positive step towards delivering the benefits of HMOs to the global population.”

“But our progress doesn’t stop here. We continue to champion regulatory developments in the HMO landscape; holding the largest number of approvals worldwide and with scope to expand. We make this possible by spearheading research in the field through our HMO Donation Program to advance the industry’s knowledge of HMOs and their relevance for human health.”

To learn more about DSM’s growing HMO portfolio and their promising science-based benefits, visit: dsm.com/human-nutrition.

The post DSM approves 3-FL ingredient for increased HMO access appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

I do think it is interesting, as it seems dairy has been doing the right thing for the last decade or so. The DSF has been around since 2013, and the Global Dairy Platform, its host, for longer. One looks at other sectors, such as meat and packaging, and realises their efforts, while very commendable, are a lot newer than dairy’s. The Dairy UK Dairy Roadmap has been in place since 2008 in the UK, and there are a lot of other efforts around the world that we continue to see making progress on dairy’s emissions footprint.

So, we continue to discuss what’s happening, as we know those countries where the emission are highest are usually in the places where the production is lowest per cow. Help is at hand, and the multi-national, multi-purpose group that has assembled to assist producers in those regions with making the best choices for their local systems, is impressive indeed. They range from the International Farming Community Network (IFCN) to the UN’s Food & Agriculture Organisation, and the International Dairy Federation, to name just a few of the many willing to assist and enable the average producer, who may have as few as one or two cows to tend.

Dairy farming is both a carbon sequesterer and a carbon emitter, but more than that, it is a source of food for many people on the planet. It is good work, to be done well.

• Suzanne Christiansen, editor, Dairy Industries International.
  Keep in touch via email: suzanne@bellpublishing.com
  Twitter: @dairyindustries or LinkedIn: Dairy Industries International magazine.

The post Building on the framework appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

Our technologies include the Sani-Pro® spiral membrane system and RELCO® evaporators and drying systems. These systems are designed to meet sanitary and sustainability requirements in the food and dairy industries while consistently achieving excellent product quality.

KSS membrane and thermal separation equipment have the following features and benefits:

• Sani-Pro® ultrafiltration (UF) system with single-stage permeate collectors for water conservation during CIP and enhanced cleaning and quality control
• Valve cluster for 24/7 operation and single-stage CIP
• Membrane housings directly welded to the manifold for compact and sanitary design
• Sani-Pro® membranes tolerate high pH and temperature conditions to ensure optimal protein yield and purity
• Scalable system design that accommodates future process expansions
• Protein purification via diafiltration
• Reverse osmosis (RO) concentration of UF permeate for byproduct reuse and recovery of RO permeate for use in diafiltration
• Quality monitoring in real time optimizes permeate reuse
• Customized high-pressure sanitary flanges
• RELCO® MVR Falling Film Evaporator efficiently achieves a higher solids concentration for a wide variety of products
• Product is evenly distributed on each tube in the evaporator while gradual heating ensures gentle evaporation processes and prevents thermal damage to produce an optimal product suitable for spray drying
• The RELCO® Wide Body Spray Dryer is capable of drying a variety of food and dairy products with integrated and external fluid beds for production of fat-filled products and improved dryer efficiency

KSS has solutions for a variety of dairy, food, and biotechnology applications. Our expertise spans across the concentration and purification of milk ingredients, whey protein, and lactose & permeate, as well as caustic recovery and W&WW treatment. We are determined to help customers around the world optimize their production processes and revolutionize the protein industry.

To watch the video, please follow this link.

The post Koch Separation Solutions – Production of High-Quality Protein appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

Giuseppi Ambrosi, president of the EDA, said, in the wake of the pandemic, European dairy has been dealing with the Ukraine war, climate change and their impacts on inputs for the producer, and prices for the consumer – like many others in the world. “Turbulent time are our daily dairy business,” he stated.

EDA President Ambrosi. Image: EDA

That being said, he noted that it is not nice to be getting attention for dairy policies only when there are crises such as astronomic increases in food prices. The European Dairy Association has been the voice of reason in the dairy policy debate on legislation in the EU, working on avoiding policies that resist an ideological approach to farming and agriculture. For example, it helped alert the EU that its Farm to Fork Strategy would lead to a 10 per cent drop in agricultural output and a drop in farmer income, which is not what one wants when consumer prices are up. “The economics of stable and affordable food supply have finally gained momentum,” he added.

He also said that not making the farmer a villain in the climate change scenario is key. “We all want to reach climate neutrality in 2050 and the one way is dialogue and supporting those who can make a change. It’s not about punishing the farmer, it’s all about supporting and incentivising them. In 2023, poor legislation will not be a reality.”

As we’ve seen lately, short-term thinking on the part of politicians just leads to rubbish legislation, and this is true in dairy as well as anywhere else. As Ignacio Elola, the president of the Spanish dairy association Fenil reminded the audience, there are now eight billion people to feed globally and “dairy will be a key fixture in supplying this.” He called on the Spanish government to delay a plastics tax, as it will put the nation’s producers at a disadvantage to other European processors. “We are committed to Europe, but we need a regulatory approach that addresses the uncertainties.”

• Suzanne Christiansen, editor, Dairy Industries International.
  Keep in touch via email: suzanne@bellpublishing.com
  Twitter: @dairyindustries or LinkedIn: Dairy Industries International magazine.

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Meanwhile, the agricultural past was celebrated here in London with the annual driving of sheep across London Bridge on Sunday, the Sheep Drive & Livery Fair. It is an event hosted by the Worshipful Company of Woolmen and is a celebration of London Freemen’s right to herd ovines across the bridge, but also of sheep products. Again, King Charles has been a proponent of wool as a natural, environmentally friendly material for use in all types of uses.

It seems that while the country celebrates the ancient, industry participants are employing these products to look to the future. My friends did attend and told me that the Cotswold Blacklion vodka made from sheep cheese making whey was worth having.

These events remind me of what can make these places great – respecting the past while aiming towards the future. That’s what modern agriculture and the dairy industry is about. We celebrate the dairy, and the rural community’s part in supplying the cities with nutritious foods and drinks. Or not so nutritious in the case of the vodka, but certainly enjoyable and very worthwhile.

And lastly, happy World School Milk Day on Wednesday, everyone. Feeding the world’s children nutritious and reliable foods, is what dairy is about.

To read more about King Charles III’s efforts to help artisanal cheese makers, please visit https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-63011145.

• Suzanne Christiansen, editor, Dairy Industries International.
  Keep in touch via email: suzanne@bellpublishing.com
  Twitter: @dairyindustries or LinkedIn: Dairy Industries International magazine.

The post The king of cheese appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

With the additional import volume of 1,000 tons of butter, domestic demand should be covered until the end of the year. 

According to industry estimates, the domestic supply of butter will not be sufficient this year either. Since a large part of Swiss milk is processed into cheese, there is not enough left over for butter production. In addition, total milk production is lower than expected.  

The milk sector organisation wrote in its application that the situation in the milk market is difficult to assess for the coming months. 

So far, the BLW has released 5,100 tons of butter for import in the quota for 2022.  

On average, the demand in Switzerland is over 40,000 tonnes of butter per year. The import share is thus around 13% this year. 

The post Butter tariff quota up in Switzerland appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

This form of husbandry is currently forbidden in Austria, but is still permitted in isolated cases with official exemptions. This is intended to further strengthen the credibility of the AMA seal of quality in the area of animal welfare.

In addition, a voluntary module called ‘animal husbandry +’ is being set up in the AMA system, which guarantees additional, higher animal welfare standards. This not only provides for stricter animal husbandry standards, but also additional controls in the area of animal welfare and documentation in the area of medicine use and animal health monitoring.

This module is also intended to create an animal husbandry labeling model in Austria compatible with Germany’s Animal Welfare Initiative (ITW) animal husbandry labeling system. It will hopefully ensure further German export options, especially since various animal husbandry standards have already been announced by several German retail chains as a prerequisite for further deliveries. The German milk market is very important for Austria with a share of around 25% of total sales.

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Together they have certified Kegele, a farm cheese dairy, with the new quality seal, AMA Genuss Region, which was developed on the initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture.  

More companies are joining the new system to be certified as regional quality companies. 

“Our butchers, bakers and restaurateurs refine food into top-quality products. The AMA Genuss Region quality seal reinforces the importance of regional food production and processing. It gives consumers orientation and creates added value for the companies,” Totschnig adds.  

“Direct marketers, such as the Hofkäserei Kegele, also make an important contribution to the food supply. Let’s always remember: It’s the farmers who put the food on our plates every day. But the increased operating costs are putting them under increasing pressure. That’s why I put together a €110 million supply security package to support our family farms so that they can continue to produce and supply people with regional food,” says the Austrian minister of agriculture. 

The basis for the award are the guidelines for quality and origin assurance systems recognised by the EU.  

The post New quality seal for Austria appeared first on Dairy Industries International.

MEA chair, John Baines explains: 

“The MEA has relaunched its accreditation scheme to reflect development in dairy systems. We no longer believed Parlour Safe to be an accurate description of dairy technicians’ experience because of the changes in milking systems, especially robots. Our MSTA courses reflect this, and we are also introducing a new Category 4 Accreditation for ‘Master’ dairy engineering technicians looking to take their career a step further.” 

Category 4 was launched at the MEA member meeting on 29 June and is an opportunity for experienced dairy technicians to be accredited with specialist status in the sector. The course is aimed at those looking for leadership roles that may require them to train or mentor others. “Category 4 is aligned with the professional standards required for application to the Engineering Council for Engineering Technician (EngTech) registration. It is therefore a new benchmark for the milking industry and a goal for those wishing to lead,” he adds.  

To better represent the diversity of its members, the MEA has also had a brand refresh and launched a new website with a dedicated section for the MSTA. “Working with our members, we agreed that the MEA needed a new look to reflect the changes the industry has experienced. This offered the opportunity to create a new website resource which also better explains the MSTA courses that are available and how new and experienced technicians can apply to gain accreditation,” he says.  

The new website has been launched and can be viewed at www.milkingsystems.co.uk and more information about courses is available at  www.milkingsystems.co.uk/msta.

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On the one hand, China needs milk, but has introduced confinement measures in its two largest cities, Beijing and Shanghai, the engines that drive much of the nation’s economy, in an intransigent attempt to end the outbreaks of Covid-19. On the other hand, the economic restrictions imposed on Russia complicate imports, since Russia is the second largest importer of dairy products in the world. The issue of containers is still in force, affecting mainly Europe (where the price of powdered milk had grown the most). In addition to all the impact of this on the increase of cereals, this added cost to primary milk production worldwide.  

Another key issue is the lack of cows, where six years ago there was a large drop in the numbers, according to the FAS. The crisis unleashed in mid-2015 generated a strong depression in milk production in Argentina by generating a strong discard of cows in the dairy farms (the least productive, with reproductive problems, etc.) and a reduction in feeding levels, due to cost adjustments, which affected individual production. The lack of cows is felt, which means that even with good production after six years from the peak of 2015, production has not recovered to that level and it will take another three or four years to reach 2015. Currently it stands at about 1.6 million cows. 

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The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published an opinion that bovine milk osteopontin (OPN) is safe for use in infant formula (IF), follow-on formula and ready-to-eat dairy-based meals for children.

When this process is complete, Lacprodan OPN-10 will become Arla Foods Ingredients’ first product for infant nutrition approved under the new Novel Food Regulation (EU) 2015/2283. Products containing Lacprodan OPN-10 will be authorised for sale in Europe towards the end of 2022 or early 2023.

Osteopontin is a whey protein, which is a heavily phosphorylated, acidic glycoprotein with strong calcium-binding properties. Significant amounts of this protein have been identified in human milk, while smaller quantities are present in bovine milk. This means that – to date – infant formulas have had lower osteopontin content than human breast milk.

Anders Steen Jørgensen, director pediatric at Arla Foods Ingredients says, “We’re delighted by this decision, which is a significant step towards achieving Novel Food approval. It’s a strong signal of trustworthiness in this new ingredient for infant milk formula, and opens up new opportunities for formula manufacturers. This is the result of more than five years of hard work from our R&D department, Early Life Nutrition Science teams and regulatory teams. Lacprodan OPN-10 is a fantastic addition to our infant nutrition portfolio and continues our record of being first to market with products in this sector.”

With Lacprodan OPN-10, Arla Foods Ingredients can now help infant formula manufacturers to develop products containing osteopontin in its purest form to date. Arla Foods Ingredients holds several patents for the production and application of osteopontin.

About Novel Food

The European Commission defines Novel Food as food that had not been consumed to a significant degree by humans in the EU before 15 May 1997, when the first regulation on Novel Food came into force.

It can be applied to newly developed, innovative food, food produced using new technologies and production processes, as well as food which is or has been traditionally eaten outside of the EU.

View the EFSA opinion:
​https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.2903/j.efsa.2022.7137

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