Mr. Tran Quang Trung, Chairman of Vietnam Dairy Association, former Director of Food Safety Department (Ministry of Health)
As a country with a high population growth rate of about 1.2%/year, the dairy market in Vietnam has great potential. The GDP growth rate of 6-8%/year, the average income per capita increased by 14.2%/year, combined with the trend of improving the health and stature of Vietnamese people, makes the demand for dairy products always maintain a high growth rate.
It can be said that the dairy industry also plays an important role in the country's economic development goals. Currently, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is drafting the "Dairy Industry Development Strategy for the period up to 2030, with a vision to 2050", helping dairy businesses have a new, creative, and suitable direction for development.
In the general development of the dairy industry, the most widely used products by consumers are instant and liquid milk. Therefore, dairy companies have invested in the most modern and advanced international packaging technologies and processes to ensure food safety and truly healthy nutritional products.
To clarify more about milk processing and packaging technology in Vietnam, the reporter had an interview with Mr. Tran Quang Trung, Chairman of the Vietnam Dairy Association, former Director of the Department of Food Safety, Ministry of Health to explain the relationship between packaging and the quality of liquid milk, as well as the secret to using this product safely.
PV: To have safe milk, maintain nutritional value and appropriate shelf life, could you tell us what regulations businesses in the dairy industry need to comply with to ensure consumer health?
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Quang Trung: Vietnam is a market with a young population of nearly 100 million people, so there is still a lot of room for the dairy industry to develop. Therefore, our dairy market is booming and manufacturers are constantly investing in equipment, upgrading, and using advanced technology to meet consumer demand.
Dairy enterprises have been proactive and creative in finding suitable directions such as investing in new technology, modern production and processing equipment and smart distribution systems to create new products with high quality and reputation to meet domestic and foreign markets. The dairy industry is increasingly affirming its role in the development of the country's economy, ensuring food security for the country.
Milk production and distribution companies in Vietnam must follow the world's testing system and standards. Dairy products in particular and nutritional products in general must comply with the standards and criteria of the Codex Alimentarius Commission and, in particular, must comply with the general food safety regulations issued by the Vietnamese Ministry of Health before being distributed to consumers.
At the same time, it is necessary to affirm that the process of processing and packaging liquid milk in Vietnam or the world is the same. In terms of technology, many dairy companies in Vietnam have not hesitated to invest in the most advanced and latest technologies in the world to serve the production of dairy products.
The world's common process for producing sterilized milk
PV: Can you explain more specifically about the regulations and procedures to ensure the quality of dairy products?
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Quang Trung: To have safe milk and maintain its nutritional value, businesses must adhere to a basic and most important principle, which is sterilization. Accordingly, microorganisms that are harmful to human health and spoil the product will be removed from raw milk.
Next, the raw milk is brought to the factory by a 4-degree refrigerated tanker, and quality is checked before being put into production. The milk is pasteurized at 75 degrees Celsius for 15 seconds and then cooled very quickly to 4 degrees Celsius. At this stage, all microorganisms harmful to human health have been eliminated. However, there are still a few microorganisms in the milk that are not harmful to health but will spoil the milk if not kept refrigerated continuously.
To completely remove these agents, the manufacturer must sterilize the milk at 140 degrees Celsius for about 4 seconds and then quickly cool it down to 25 degrees Celsius. At this point, the milk can be put into a filling machine to be packed in sterile paper cartons.
This entire process is almost automatic and closed, so the milk will no longer have harmful microorganisms, and will have a long shelf life without the need for preservatives. The product can also be transported to distant places without refrigeration.
PV: Some consumers have posted on social media about problematic milk cartons. So what do you think is the cause of this situation?
Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Quang Trung: Dairy products are only sold out of the factory when they meet quality and food safety standards. However, before reaching consumers, the products still go through the process of transportation, loading, distribution at agents, and storage in warehouses and stores.
The impact during transportation can cause some milk cartons to be dented, causing the seal to loosen and leak milk. At this time, even though the gap is very small, air and microorganisms can still penetrate, causing the milk to spoil or cause foreign objects.
In addition, improper storage conditions at agents and stores can also cause milk cartons and milk boxes to spoil.
PV: To protect and ensure the safety and health of consumers, what do you think dairy businesses, transporters, and distributors need to do?
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Quang Trung: There will always be a small number of milk cartons on the market that have problems due to the above reasons during the distribution process. To minimize this risk, manufacturing enterprises need to regularly instruct suppliers and agents on regulations for transporting, loading, unloading, and preserving products.
Distributors, agents and stores must comply with the conditions for storage, transportation and unloading of products recommended by the manufacturer such as: do not throw milk cartons; do not stack more than 5 milk cartons high during transportation or storage.
Milk cartons should only be placed on standard shelves, in a dry, clean place, not exposed to sunlight or rain and free from insects and rodents.
PV: Can you give some advice to help consumers choose safe milk products?
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Quang Trung: For consumers, before using, we need to check the shape of the milk cartons (which may be deformed during transportation), check the expiration date (which may be expired due to not being used for a long time), check and feel the taste when opening the lid to rule out the case (although very rare) of products being damaged due to the causes analyzed above. If any abnormalities are detected, immediately notify the supplier for handling.
You should choose products from reputable brands with full necessary information on the packaging.
Consumers also need to make a habit of checking the labels of reputable paper boxes that are trusted in Vietnam. The quality of the paper box is a factor that ensures the safety of the milk products inside.
In addition, sharp objects should not be used to cut the plastic film covering the milk carton to avoid damaging the carton. Unused milk must be stored in the refrigerator./.
Le Nguyen
Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/sua-uong-lien-o-viet-nam-san-xuat-theo-quy-trinh-cong-nghe-che-bien-dong-goi-hien-dai-cua-the-gioi-102250318173450717.htm
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