New Ordinance on Dairy Products Takes Effect in Bulgaria

An ordinance introducing specific requirements for dairy products enters into force in Bulgaria on December 31, 2012.

Under the new requirements, a company cannot produce both dairy products and the so-called imitation products containing vegetable fat, investor.bg reminds.

Dairy products and 'imitation dairy products containing milk' will be sold at separate stands in stores and will be easy to tell apart by their labels.

Bulgarian Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naydenov explained a few weeks ago that the ordinance was aimed at protecting consumers' interests.

He said that vegetable fat, especially palm oil, was harmful to people's health, and people had to be aware what they were consuming.

The ordinance stipulates the characteristics of dairy products like cheese, yellow cheese, yoghurt, ayran, curd products, etc.

A company will not be able to make both dairy and imitation products but will be able to switch from the one to the other type.

In the case of such decision, the company will be required to notify the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency within one day and will be allowed to change production plans once in six months.

The ordinance was supposed to take effect in October.

However, under requirements of the European Commission, the grace period was extended by the end of 2012.

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