Friday, July 10th 2026
In recent weeks, a debate has opened in Kosovo on the rules and controls for the composition and quality of milk products, inciting friction between institutions and producers.
Even though Kosovo has the Law on Food, for now it does not have a special regulation that regulates the labeling, presentation and advertising of food products, namely milk products.
Such a by-law would more clearly define the criteria for naming and the composition of dairy products, as well as the way they are presented to consumers in local markets.
The previous regulation, issued in 2013, was repealed in 2021, together with a number of other by-laws.
Since then, some aspects of this area rely on the general provisions of food legislation and other related acts, while the specific rules for dairy products remain undefined in a single document.
What rules does Kosovo have exactly?
Kosovo has a Food Law, which requires food products to be safe and clearly labelled.
Companies risk a fine of up to 20,000 euros if convicted of a violation.
However, as of 2021 there is no separate regulation that determines when a product can be called “milk”, “cheese” or “butter”, and how the composition should be declared. Muhamet Kamberi, lecturer of legislation and food quality management at the Faculty of Agriculture in Pristina, tells Radio Free Europe that a new regulation would define the technical details that the law does not specify. “The content of the regulation or administrative instruction exceeds many times the content of the law, because the law is based on the Constitution and is to establish the basic pillars of how a issues. The specific details are defined by the regulation,” he says.
Issues related to food safety and food product labeling are mainly regulated by the Ministry of Agriculture, in cooperation with the Food and Veterinary Agency (AUV), while consumer protection aspects remain the responsibility of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
The Ministry of Agriculture did not respond to REL’s questions about whether it is working to bring regulations re.
In the absence of a regulation, the authorities have used the Law on Consumer Protection to carry out controls and inspections, as well as to call on companies to clearly present the composition and content of products.
Such a call was made by the Ministry of Trade in May, when it addressed economic operators and shops to clearly, legibly and visibly present the composition of dairy products in particular.
The Department for Consumer Protection confirms for the REL that the Central Market Surveillance Inspectorate has recently carried out 22 inspections and 9 re-inspections in economic entities, for compliance with legal requirements related to the placement, separation and information of consumers about dairy products.
“Economic operators are obliged to take measures to eliminate irregularities found and to comply with legal requirements, including the physical separation of dairy products of animal origin from those of plant origin during the placement for sale”, this department emphasizes.
He informs that an economic operator has been fined for non-compliance with the established requirements, but without giving more details.
Does the law define a limit on the use of palm oil?
There is no law or regulation that determines to what extent or quantity palm oil can be used in food products, whether dairy or other.
The legislation in force only requires that the products be correctly labeled and not mislead the consumer.
The debate on this issue intensified after AUV inspectors, on July 2, carried out inspections at the “Vita” factory in Istog, where they took samples of milk with an expiration date. during use, powdered milk and palm oil for laboratory analysis.
After the checks, the Acting Minister of Agriculture, Armend Muja, said that an initial AUV report shows that the company “produces animal products mixed with palm oil” and that laboratory analyzes will confirm this.
“Without a shadow of a doubt, the dairy ‘Vita’ produces milk mixed with palm oil and all… There are not 100 products per percent of milk”, said Muja on the TV show “Pressing” in T7.
While waiting for the final results, the company temporarily suspended work.
How does Kosovo compare with the EU?
Unlike Kosovo, the European Union has food legislation that explains in detail how milk products should be protected and controlled.
It says that a milk product means a product derived exclusively from milk, and that substances necessary for production can be added only on the condition that those substances are not used to replace – in whole or in part – any milk component.
The 2013 block regulation defines what is called milk and protects the designations of dairy products of pure animal origin, such as: milk, cream, butter, cheese, etc.
In general, plant-based products cannot use these designations.
The regulation also determines that all ingredients must be declared on the label, listed by weight, from the one with the largest content to the smallest, as well as identified by their specific name.
Kamberi says that Kosovo has prolonged the process of aligning its legislation with that of the EU.
Source: prizrenpost
Etiketa: Brief
