Keywords
Citation
Jukes, D. (1999), "Draft Dairy Products (Hygiene) Regulations 1999", British Food Journal, Vol. 101 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/bfj.1999.070101dab.003
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 1999, MCB UP Limited
Draft Dairy Products (Hygiene) Regulations 1999
The Government is consulting on draft regulations to update, amend and consolidate the Dairy Products (Hygiene) Regulations 1995, as amended. The 1995 Regulations implement Directive 92/46/EEC on milk hygiene in England and Wales.
The regulations cover the production and placing on the market of raw milk, heat-treated milk and milk-based products from the milk of cows, sheep, goats and buffaloes. Provisions in the earlier regulations will remain largely unchanged. The proposed new provisions include:
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the removal of certain derogations for milk-based products with traditional characteristics, to reflect developments in the European Community;
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the introduction of new somatic cell count standards for raw buffalo’s milk and a new requirement for purchasers of raw milk and dairy product processors to notify enforcement officers when standards for somatic cell counts and bacterial standards are reached;
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the introduction of an extended power so that the Minister may cancel a production holding’s registration when statutory sampling of raw cow’s drinking milk is obstructed.
More detail about the proposed amendments is contained in a Regulatory Impact Assessment and revised drafts of a statutory Code of Practice (No 18) and Guidance to Enforcement Officers. Comments are also specifically requested on these documents.
Regulation 20 of the draft regulations lays down certain controls on imported milk and milk-based products from third countries that are essentially unchanged from those in the Dairy Products (Hygiene) Regulations 1995. However, certain of these provisions have been overtaken by harmonised EC rules that are currently applied by port health authorities administratively, and which will be implemented by Dairy Products (Import Conditions) Regulations as soon as possible. Public consultation on these draft import regulations will take place before they come into force.
Regulation (EC) 2597/97 sets new freezing point controls for cow’s drinking milk from 1 January 1999, and the requirements for the checking of added water in raw milk and heat-treated drinking milk under the Dairy Products (Hygiene) Regulations 1999 are being adjusted accordingly. Regulation 2597/97 is enforced by the Drinking Milk Regulations 1998.
The policy as regards the sale of raw cow’s drinking milk has been under review and the Minister announced the outcome in reply to a written parliamentary question on 20 January 1999. The legislative changes required as a result of the review will be subject to separate public consultation.