Alexander Nikitin: compared to EVC labeling is a better solution for the dairy market
Earlier, the Ministry of agriculture prepared a draft document on the introduction of electronic veterinary certification for finished products. According to the document, since July 1 there will be introduced mandatory registration of electronic veterinary accompanying documents for cheese and butter, since November – for dairy products. In addition, the possible integration of EVC "Mercury" with the labeling system of finished dairy products is currently being worked out. This order was given by Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Gordeev to the Ministry of industry and trade, Ministry of agriculture and Rosselkhoznadzor with the participation of the Center for advanced technology development.
Dairy market participants assess the possible consequences of such changes and their impact on the economic development of individual enterprises globally.
– Digital labelling of finished products is an ideologically more correct solution for the domestic dairy market. EVC is lobbied by serious people, but this system will never work to the extent originally intended. It does not function at the stage of milk collection, so it does not make any sense further. The market needs accounting and traceability, but the vets have nothing to do with this, – said A. Nikitin.
According to him, "Mercury" worsens the already poor productivity: the company is forced to hire additional workers and pay for their services, while positive changes do not occur.
– Supporters of EVC for finished dairy products for some reason believe that it will magically relieve the market from the presence of tropical fats in dairy products. This is misconception. Worldwide volumes of products in which milk fat is substituted with vegetable fat are growing. Lobbyists involved in milk production are trying to resist, they are swimming against the stream. But this is a philosophical question – where the consumer decides for himself, – said the member of the Board of Directors of GC "Alantal".
The expert urged the market players to get engaged in falsification, however, he noted that it is not correct to denigrate vegetable fats.
– I can say that the supporters of EVC represent a camp of opponents of tropical fats, but palm oil in its pure form is not the enemy to be fought. Talks about the fact that digital labelling is associated with huge costs of implementation do not reflect the reality. We switched to work with this system at the request of trade networks long ago and it did not bring additional costs. My position is clear: I am for the accounting of products by batches and for labelling, – said A. Nikitin.
We will remind that earlier the systems of quality control in the dairy market were compared in the article of the Chairman of the Board – Director of the Dairy Union of Russia Lyudmila Manitskaya. According to her, the system of electronic veterinary certification "Mercury" for dairy products seems to be more rational compared to digital labelling.
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