Glamocic: New Book of regulations on aflatoxin on July 1

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister of Agriculture Dragan Glamocic signed on Monday the Book of regulations envisaging the allowed limit of aflatoxin to be restored to the European level of 0.05 micrograms per kilogram as of July 1.

"The European Union regulation in this field is the strictest in the world,” Glamocic told RTS, adding that Serbia's goal is to join the EU so it must try to implement the standards set by the Union.

The permitted level of aflatoxin in Serbia was raised to 0.5 micrograms per kilogram when higher-than-allowed levels of this toxin were found in corn and milk over a year ago.

On this occasion the minister noted that “milk was safe for consumption in the previous period and it will be even safer now".

“Milk in Serbia is of excellent quality and nearly all samples already meet the European standards. If a sample happens to exceed the limit, the issue can be solved with the application of certain measures,” he said.

Glamocic noted that the milk control is carried out by laboratories, inspection services but for the most part the dairies themselves, adding that the National Milk Laboratory in Novi Sad will start operating in early summer, while the laboratory in the Belgrade municipality of Batajnica is scheduled to open next year.

Independent milk quality control will guarantee that the farmers will be paid for their products in accordance with the quality, said the minister.

He urged animal feed and milk processors and milk and dairy manufacturers to be careful and take all measures to prevent the aflatoxin level to exceed the limit of 0.05 micrograms per kilogram.

"It is something that all of us together should work on in the future - pay more attention...