VietNamNet Bridge – Vendors' improper storage techniques are responsible for over 70 per cent of spoiled milk in Viet Nam, according to a two year study by the Ministry of Health's Food Administration.

The alarming figures were revealed at a conference on milk safety management in Ha Noi yesterday by the Food Safety Management Division under the Department of Science and Technology from the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).

Improper storage of milk products by consumers is also a factor leading to poor quality, accounting for nearly 20 per cent of spoilage, while the use of additives causes roughly 4 per cent of waste.

Contrary to the huge wastage caused by handlers, the department pointed out that the production process itself is only responsible for 1 per cent of poor quality milk.

Despite the amount of wastage, milk products have lately been one of the Vietnamese economy's star performers.

According to Tran Nguyen Nam, deputy head of MoIT's Domestic Market Department, the milk production industry has achieved the strongest growth among all Vietnamese food sectors in recent years.

Participants at the conference expressed concern that there are still unresolved issues in relation to milk production and trading.

They said Viet Nam has so far failed to put a rigid model in place for transferring from the farming phase to the reaping and milk processing phases.

There is also a lack of machinery and technology which can enhance the safety and longevity of milk.

The views are particularly poignant when you consider the growing popularity of milk products in Viet Nam.

According to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation, the average consumption of milk per head in Viet Nam during the 2000-10 period increased by an average of 9 per cent each year.

Conference participators said the quality of milk must be monitored by farming households and that farms must apply international standard management systems to ensure safe processing from the grass growing phase right through to milking and preservation.

They added that milk producers need to improve co-operation with scientists, increase the application of modern technology and strictly follow quality management standards during production.

The growth of milk production is expected to remain high until 2015, while some of the most popular and widely produced products include condensed milk, dried milk and yoghurt.

VietNamNet/VNS