Georgia’s National Food Agency Fines 56 Dairy Manufacturers for Violations

Georgia’s National Food Agency (NFA) has fined 56 dairy manufacturer companies and suspended the operation of 11 businesses after the NFA carried out monitoring of business owners in the country.

In 2017, the National Food Agency carried out 424 state controls of dairy product companies, including 373 inspections and 51 documentary inspections.

The NFA checked the compliance of labeling with milk regulations. 24 business operators were fined for violating the labeling rule.

The NFA also took samples to test products for Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes, but no violations in this regard have been observed.

Technical regulations on dairy products came into force in July 2017. The regulations prohibit using artificial fat in products labeled as dairy products. 

It is also banned to use the term 'milk substitute product' for products containing vegetable oil. 

The regulations were imposed in August 2015, but producers were given time to adapt to the changes. 

The National Food Agency stated that after the imposition of the technical regulations, product quality has increased. 

Imported products are also controlled in the same way as local products.

As for cheese, the microbiological analysis of 15 different cheeses show that the rules and norms defined by the state were not enforced in 12 samples out of 15.

The survey was conducted by MIC-TNS, which aimed at studying consumers' attitude towards Georgian cheese, and checking hygienic norms in various trade facilities.

The result revealed that coliform and staphylococcus bacteria were found in most of the cheeses.

By Thea Morrison