In response to the demands of an overwhelming number of consumers, as of 22 January 2019, the labelling of milk and milk products must mandatorily specify the country of origin of the milk used as a product ingredient.
This has been enacted by Royal Decree 1181/2018, of September 21. It is for products that are produced in Spain, marketed in Spanish territory and intended for the final consumer or collective. This norm will apply to cream, butter, yogurt, kefir, cheese and cottage cheese, among other milk and dairy products.
In particular, where the milk represents at least 50% of the total weight of the ingredients, the label on a milk or dairy product should indicate:
- “Country of Milking”
- “Country of Processing”
- When the milking and processing operations occur in the same country, the words “Origin of milk” may be used.
When the country of origin is Spain, it must be expressed explicitly. In all other cases, the options are “EU” or “outside the EU” or “EU and outside the EU” or “Member State” or “Third country”.
In addition, this new norm allows food companies to indicate more specific information about the place of origin of the milk, including the name of the region or territory from which the milk originates. The only limitation is that it does not coincide with a designation of origin, in which case such information cannot be used on the label.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
