Veterinarski Glasnik (Jan 2005)

Concept of protection of food of animal origin

  • Mijačević Zora M.,
  • Bulajić Snežana B.

DOI
https://doi.org/10.2298/VETGL0502167M
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 59, no. 1-2
pp. 167 – 175

Abstract

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The currently valid regulations (Official Gazette 26/2002) define the requirements for the quality of milk and milk products. The same legislature defines also the concept of composite products, that is, products in which part of the fat or proteins have been substituted with fat or proteins of different origin. A composite product must include the term composite in its name, and the part of the declaration which lists the contents of total proteins and fat must specify the part of plant proteins and fat in total proteins and fat of milk products. With the growth of the population and the concern for health, new requirements have been set, and consumers expect a food article to meet not only the nutritive requirements, but also to have certain functional characteristics, or that it is not burdened with components which have a negative effect on health (the presence of cholesterol, sodium chloride, a high percentage of saturated fatty acids). The complete substitution of one milk component results in a completely new product. A change in the traditional composition of a certain food article must be clearly declared, so as not to confuse consumers and to provide them with the possibility of choice. In our market, there have lately appeared products that are marked as imitations, alternatives, diet cheese, vegetable cheese. Modified products which do not meet the traditional identity standards must be marked as imitations, in case they are nutritionally inferior with respect to the traditionally standardized food articles, or as substitutes or alternatives, in the event that they are a nutritive equivalent to the traditional food articles. The lack of legal regulations for this category of product leads to the irregular declaration of such products, and consequently provides false information about the characteristics of such articles to the consumer. It is necessary to regulate this area with the respective laws in order to protect the consumer.

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