EEC approves amended Dairy Standards Program

ASIA – The Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) has officially approved an updated program for developing interstate standards related to milk and dairy products, aimed at enhancing food safety and harmonising regulations across member states.

The newly amended program aligns with the Customs Union’s Technical Regulation “On Safety of Milk and Dairy Products” (TR CU 033/2013) and outlines the development or revision of 73 interstate standards by the end of 2029.

These standards are designed to improve quality control, ensure consumer safety, and support innovation in dairy production across the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia.

Under the program, Russia will lead the effort by preparing 60 draft standards, Kazakhstan will contribute nine drafts, Armenia will develop two and Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan will collaborate on two standards specifically tailored to national dairy products.

The scope of the new standards is notably broad, covering first-time regulations for products such as milk protein concentrates, dry whey protein hydrolysates for infant nutrition, raw and drinking sheep milk, and dairy items formulated for preschool and school-age children.

The Program was prepared in accordance with the proposals submitted by the Eurasian Economic Union countries as well as with due regard to the implementation of the current version of the Program approved by the Decision of the Commission’s Board in 2022.

The news comes as the butter and dairy spreads market in Asia-Pacific is expected to reach 2.9M tons, with a value of US$23.8 billion, growing at a CAGR of +1.3% in volume and +7.1% in value, according to data by the IndexBox.

The Asia Pacific dairy market is booming because of growing disposable incomes, urbanisation, and a shift in diet patterns.

More people are being classified as the middle class in China and India, which is accelerating the tendency to adopt Western-style diets with higher contents of dairy products.

The countries with the highest volumes of consumption in 2024 were India (1M tons), Pakistan (679K tons) and China (203K tons), together accounting for 75% of total consumption.

From 2013 to 2024, the most notable rate of growth in terms of consumption, amongst the key consuming countries, was attained by China (with a CAGR of +3.9%), while consumption for the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

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