Dairies Demand Publication of Evidence, Warn They Will Halt Milk Collection

The Kosovo Dairy Industry Association has raised serious concerns about the way the Ministry of Agriculture and the Food and Veterinary Agency presented the results of inspections conducted in the dairy sector.

The association has called on the Ministry of Agriculture and the Food and Veterinary Agency (FVA) to make the complete inspection documentation public. It warned that if this is not done by August 12, 2026, dairies will be forced to halt milk collection, KosovaPress reports.

In its response, the association emphasized that it fully supports institutional oversight, the safeguarding of food safety, and measures against any operator found to have acted in violation of the law. However, it believes that neither individual companies nor an entire sector should be publicly condemned without the original analyses, relevant documents, and verifiable evidence being made available.

The association recalled that it was announced during the conference that 495 samples had been collected, of which 471 had been analyzed, with 93 non-compliances identified. According to the association, the public was not provided with the complete laboratory reports, original product labels, lot numbers, sampling dates, official records, or the laboratory methods used. Its response stated that a table or public presentation cannot replace an original laboratory report, because without the complete documentation it is impossible to determine which specific product was analyzed and what evidence supports the allegation.

According to the association, a clear distinction must be made between products that are unsafe for consumption, labeling non-compliance, issues related to authorization, and allegations concerning the use of an undeclared ingredient.

The response explained that these constitute separate technical and legal categories and therefore cannot all be presented as threats to public health. For this reason, the Ministry and the FVA have been asked to immediately publish the complete laboratory report for each disputed sample; the name of the product, manufacturer or importer, and lot number; a photograph and copy of the original label; the date, location, and official sampling record; the laboratory method and accreditation status; and the complete list of the 93 non-compliances. The association also requested clarification regarding the difference between the 495 samples collected and the 471 samples analyzed, as well as their classification into domestic products, imported products, and vegetable fat preparations.

The association stated that it does not seek to defend any violation and that anyone who has deceived consumers must be held accountable under the law. However, it opposes public condemnation without evidence and the creation of an impression that all domestic production is suspect.

According to the response, the consequences of such a situation do not fall solely on one company but also affect farmers, workers, domestic suppliers, and companies that have invested millions of euros. The association also believes that undermining trust in domestic production creates even more room for imported products.

In conclusion, the dairies stated that if the full analysis results and supporting documentation are not published by August 12, 2026, they will be forced to halt milk collection.

Vita Factory also responded to statements made by acting Agriculture Minister Armend Muja regarding dairy product samples.

In its response, Vita Factory said that the issues presented today by acting Minister Armend Muja during the press conference could easily be found in the records of Kosovo Customs, the Kosovo Tax Administration, and the Kosovo Food and Veterinary Agency. According to the factory, the minister had merely summarized those data without providing any new information and had not published the sample analysis results, despite repeated promises and expectations that they would be made public today.

Today, during a press conference, acting Agriculture Minister Armend Muja presented the results of inspections carried out by the Food and Veterinary Agency at several dairies across the country over the past three months.