The problem with the quality of dairy products on the market has provoked the state to prepare new legal changes. The reason for the discussion was an investigation by “NOVA Topic“, which showed that two out of five samples of cheese and yellow cheese tested from the retail network practically lacked milk fat. “The main requirement for something to be food is that it be safe. The question now remains with its quality”, said the Minister of Agriculture and Food Plamen Abrovski in the program “Interview in NOVA News“.
According to him, the rules for the content of foods have long been established on a global scale. “Back in 1963, the World Health Organization and the FAO created the so-called Codex Alimentarius, which means food law. These are international standards that say what a food should mean in order to be food”, explained Abrovski.
He also commented on the specific international limits for the composition of cheese. “The Codex Alimentarius says that the minimum dry content in milk should be 40%, which leaves that the maximum water content can be 60%”, the minister pointed out. He added that our country has even higher requirements: “The BDS standard for white brine cheese is 54% water content, that is, 46% dry”.
According to him, in order to put an end to speculations with quality, the state is preparing changes to the regulatory framework. “What we are doing right now, the Bulgarian state and the Ministry of Agriculture, is changing this legislation. We are saying that in Bulgaria, if someone wants to produce Bulgarian white brine cheese, the water content must be up to 58%”, the Minister of Agriculture and Food pointed out. According to him, this threshold was chosen, “because when calibrating the machines there can be a 2% difference”.
Regarding the products that exceed this water content limit, he is adamant that they will change their name. “All this stuff will be called brine milk product. No one in Bulgaria will be able to call cheese something that is not cheese according to Bulgarian legislation”, the Minister stated.
He also commented on the difference between products with a lot of water and imitation products. “An imitation product is when someone decides to make cheese from skimmed milk powder, where the fat has been removed. In order to create a dry substance, fat must be added to it and you put the so-called palm fat”, explained Abrovski. According to him, his team has set the terms for these goods to be written “in capital letters”.
Regarding the deadlines for the changes to come into force, he explained that an expert group is currently working. “I hope we will be ready earlier, but this will happen next calendar year. Let's first put it in the legislation and then the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency will start checking the recipes”, concluded Plamen Abrovski.