Europe Will Lead The Global Dairy Industry

EU - Europe will set the standard for the global dairy industry in the future. That’s just one of the predictions expressed by international dairy expert Ynte Hein Schukken at a recent Pfizer meeting, in Brussels.

22 September 2010

2 minute read

“Most of the milk produced throughout the developed world will be following the same standards as those set in the EU,” he said.

“Already the US is bracing itself for implementation of the stricter interpretation of the milk and milk product import rules from the EU. My prediction is that other countries will follow this example.”

According to Dr Schukken, who is Professor of Epidemiology and Herd Health at Cornell University in the US, other major markets such as India and China will follow suit. This will make access to the world market for milk more equal for all players in the market, he said.

Speaking at an international meeting entitled ‘Are European dairymen making the most of cell count data?’, Prof. Schukken also predicted greater harmonisation of standards within the EU.

“I have travelled onto farms in many countries across the EU and have seen that not all countries enforce the EU milk quality standards in an equally rigorous fashion.

“I hope and predict that the enforcement of the EU somatic cell standard will become similar across all current and future members of the EU.

“It is very difficult to enforce higher quality standards on imported milk if the members of the European Union are not enforcing their own standards.”

Europe will not only be in the forefront of milk quality, it will also lead the way in animal welfare standards on dairy farms, Prof. Schukken added.

“Reducing pain events in cows will certainly need to include a reduction in clinical mastitis cases and an increase in pain-control medication. I also expect that use of antibiotics as one of the main components of curative and preventative programmes will be further scrutinised.”

The meeting included presentations on the teat sealant, OrbeSeal®, which can be used to reduce the risk of mastitis caused by environmental bacteria entering the teat canal during the dry period. According to manufacturer, Pfizer Animal Health, up to 60 per cent of clinical mastitis cases during lactation originate during the dry period.

The company has conducted numerous studies which show that OrbeSeal used on its own or immediately after dry cow antibiotic therapy can significantly reduce the incidence of clinical mastitis during subsequent lactation.