The Dairy Food Regulations (DFR) crafted under the Food Safety Act is now on its finalization stage, and may soon get the approval of Secretary Proceso J. Alcala.
This was according to National Dairy Authority (NDA) administrator Grace Cenas.
“NDA, being one of the food safety regulatory agencies (FSRA) of the Department, conducted numerous consultations in line with the preparation of the DFR.
The NDA has been designated as one of the DA FSRAs, particularly for milk from the farm up to the post-harvest level,” Cenas added.
As the duly mandated FSRA for pasteurized liquid milk products the NDA was tasked to draft the DFR.
Existing dairy farms, milk collection centers, milk processing plants and other dairy enterprises including service and input providers along the dairy value chain are given a maximum of two years from its effectivity date to fully comply with the regulations before they are allowed to operate such enterprises.
The Dairy Food Regulations and standards adopt the HACCP, GAP, GAHP, GMP and PNS for Fresh Milk as well as the Codex Alimentarius standards as far as practicable and suitable to Philippine dairy settings. These regulations also give preference as well to the compliance by the dairy enterprise operators with existing laws and administrative rules and regulations, like health and environmental laws and regulations, those on animal welfare, quarantine, feeds, drugs and biologics; and consumer laws and fair trade rules.
Meanwhile, the NDA administrator also reminded dairy cattle raisers not to abuse the use of antibiotics and anti-fungal drugs, because the bacteria, fungi, viruses, parasites, etc. in their animals might develop anti-microbial resistance (AMR).
“So ang epekto, instead na mamamatay ang mga bacteria nagiging resistant [na siya], hindi na tumatalab ang bisa ng antibiotics. Kapag mayroong AMR, nagsu-survive na ang mga mikrobyo, kahit may antibiotic na,” Cenas said.
She added, once the microbes develop AMR, treatment will be longer and harder.
In line with this, Cenas assured that the NDA does not allow the processing of milk coming from an animal which was given antibiotics. # Source - (Ian Go, DA-OSEC)/www.da.gov.ph
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