October 1 2002, 15:16 APK-Inform

EU might ban imports of Ukrainian dry milk

On September 17 EU imposed additional sanctions concerning imports of dry milk from Ukraine, which stipulate controls of each imported shipment of dry milk by arbitrage methods.

EU may ban imports of Ukrainian dry milk if just one of the controlled shipments contains traces of laevomycetinum, the Head of State Department of Veterinary Medicine at Ukraine's Agricultural Policy Ministry Petro Verbytsky told journalists October 1.

He told that the issue had first arisen in early July this year, when a report was received from Germany that a controlling laboratory had revealed traces of antibiotic named chloraphenicolum, which is the same as laevomycetinum, in several shipments of dry milk, imported there from Ukraine.

Tests, made by Ukrainian experts, proved the results of German ones. According to Verbytsky, presence of this preparation in the milk can be explained by its having been used as a preservative because of too hot weather in summer and lack of necessary refrigerating equipment with milk producers and at milk collection points. Its getting into milk through animals can be ruled out, as laevomycetinum is rarely used for treatment of cattle.

To respond to the situation, Agrarian Ministry issued on September 25 an order "About measures of preventing contamination of Ukrainian dry milk with certain impurities (including laevomycetinum) for the years 2002 and 2003." It has stipulated permanent control over animal health conditions, periodical microbiological tests at milk procurements points and milk processing enterprises, collection of samples from each milk shipment, destined for export.

Also, starting from October 1 chloraphenicolum is prohibited from use in treatment of productive animals.

According to Agrarian Policy Ministry, exports of dry milk from Ukraine as of September 1 since the beginning of the year reached some 36,000 tonnes. Average monthly ones have been 4,000 to 7,000 tonnes. Ukrainian dry milk is imported by about 15 countries (countries of EU bloc among them).