Export and import policies relevant to Dairy Sector

introduction

Consumers all over the world prefer high quality food products.

 Export Inspection Council of India (EIC) as an official certification agency with statutory status
in 1964.

It is mandatory to have pre shipment export certification for dairy products.

For dairy products, the certification system involves approval of milk processing units.
 EXPORT CERTIFICATION SYSTEM
Dairy products fall under the category of compulsory quality control, inspection and monitoring.

The notification also specifies the type of quality control and inspection as per export of

milk products rules 2000, applicable to milk products prior to export.

Responsibility of ensuring health requirements of importing country rests with the processing

plants.
Thus plants develop their own system of in process control, maintain it and keep the data base
of records for future reference.

The export inspection agencies have authority to approve compliance of processing plants with
notification requirements
 REQUIREMENTS OF PROCESSING PLANTS

1. Statutory restrictions imposed by state and central government for protecting environment.

2. Only milk of healthy animals be procured from milk producers by dairy plants. If the animal is
treated by antibiotics or any other veterinary drugs, then milk of animal should not be collected
unless it is inspected for its residues by concerned dairy plants.

3. The milk products manufactured by such plants should contain only the permissible food
additives, processing inputs and ingredients that are fit for human consumption.

4. Milk products should be prepared in approved plants under hygienic conditions

5. Product packing should be carried out under strict observation

a) Wrapping and packaging should be done under satisfactory hygienic conditions in specified
packaging rooms only.
b) Bottling should be done in automatic machines only
c) Normal wrapping and packaging should not be reused
d) Specific reusable containers when used should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected
before use.
 APPROVAL SYSTEM

Export Inspection Council of India gives the approval.

A dairy plant submits the application to export inspection council for registration as export unit.

 A panel of inter department persons consisting of representative from APEDA, NDDB, ministry

of food processing industry & export inspection agency assess the unit and decide about

providing the approval as export production unit.

On assessment and if unit is found appropriate, approval is granted to the dairy plant.

 Granting of approval is followed by three phase of surveillance

6. The product should be stored at designated storage temperatures.
The product should be brought to required storage temperature as quickly as possible and
storage temperature be recorded for future.
7. The outward package should indicate storage temperature and period for which product is
safe for human consumption.
8. All the details of processing and storage temperature are preserved in the form of imported
records for the period of 2 years.
9. Milk should be free from all types of hazardous residues.
 SURVEILLANCE PHASE:
This phase consists of visits of the plant and audit of the same

a) Monitoring visits : Monitoring visits are performed by officials of expert inspection agency to
verify microbiological and hygienic standards, check the records.
b) Supervisory visit : These visits are carried out once in every three months. The aim of such
visits is to maintain compliance with the standards.
c) Corporate audit : This involves verification of records maintained by export inspection agency
to check compliance with executive instructions.

 Audit team visits some of the approved units to check the effectiveness of the system and build
accountability
 Dispute settlement mechanism:

If any complaint is there from any importing company, then it is settled through established dispute
settlement mechanisms.

On receiving complaint, the concerned dairy plant from which the milk products have been exported
is put ‘on alert’.

The increased monitoring inspection is carried out on that plant before exports.

On increased monitoring, if the concerned dairy plant is found to be satisfactory then the condition of
‘On alert’ is removed and if the plant is not found appropriate, then the approval of export will be
withdrawn