EU audit on milk controls in Belarus: progress noted but very little only

By 27. Januar 2012Blog, Health, Quality

Belarus is listed as a country eligible for export of heat treated milk-based products to the European Union (EU). There are currently no establishments listed for export to the European Union (EU) and the country is not authorised to export any dairy products intended for human consumption to the EU. The current audit took place as a follow up to the Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) mission DG(SANCO)2010-8516 to evaluate the controls over the production of dairy products for human consumption intended for export to the EU.

In relation to the action plan provided by the CCA, in response to the previous mission, none of the six recommendations has been fully addressed. Progress was noted in addressing each of them, however, with regard to official controls very little progress was made since the previous mission.

The system for official controls currently in place still cannot guarantee that all the requirements are met, in particular due to issues related to official controls and CA designation, incomplete documented procedures, lack of awareness of relevant EU provisions (e.g. in relation to heat treatment and raw milk criteria) and shortcomings in relation to the system for export certification.

The FVO stays active to safeguard the health of EU citizens.

The full audit report may be found here.