Problems of ensuring milk quality in Ukraine in terms of European standards implementation

Abstract

In the market of raw milk Ukraine major producers are small farms and private courtyard (more than 75% of the total). They are producing second grade milk, with the total bacterial contamination of ≤ 3000 thousand/cm3 and thousands ≤ 800/cm3 somatic cells. In terms of European integration and Ukraine’s transition to new standards governing the quality of milk, the problem is acute. Database of research materials were: State Statistics Service of Ukraine, State Service of Ukraine on issues of food safety and consumer protection, the Law of Ukraine “On basic principles and requirements of food security”, SSU 36662-97 “Whole cow milk. Requirements for the procurement”, SSU 3662: 2015 “Raw milk whole. Technical conditions”, and EU Regulation № 853/2004. The method of comparison was used in the analysis of the largest world and Ukrainian milk producers and the comparison of milk quality parameters in Ukraine and the EU, the method of structural analysis was used in analysing the volumes of varying quality milk, purchased by processing enterprises from enterprises and households. The study found that milk that according to Ukrainian standards corresponds to the grades "extra» and "higher» and is defined as high quality raw materials, is classified by the EU as "tolerable» according to the requirements of the EU and refers to the lowest quality class, and milk raw materials of the first and second varieties are generally unsuitable for European milk processing enterprises. The main reasons for the low quality of milk produced by Ukrainian producers are: violation of sanitary and hygienic norms in keeping cows, which leads to high bacterial contamination of milk; lack of breeding work, poor quality of cattle breeds and feed, which results in a low nutritional value of milk; a high proportion of human labour in production process, which negatively affects the quality of manufactured products; lack of primary milk processing and conditions for its cooling; breach of the requirements for milk storage; the lack of the possibility of the immediate transport of milk to milk processing enterprises; weak state control over milk quality and compliance with requirements during its production, and limited financial resources of households. The most effective way to ensure the conditions for improving the quality of milk can be a union of cooperatives of producers, as evidenced by international experience. Such form of cooperation will allow the exchange experiences and knowledge, joint procurement and use of innovative equipment for the production, cooling and storing milk, and reduction of transport costs for milk collection, improvement and compliance with hygiene standards getting milk to attract government funding.