What is reconstituted milk?

Ruth Saravia, head of the Animal Products Safety Division of the General Directorate of Livestock, explained that reconstituted milk is milk, either whole or semi-skimmed, in powdered form, to which pure or potable water is added so that it goes from a solid to a liquid state.

The Law for the Promotion of Hygienic Production of Milk, Dairy Products and Regulation of their Sale prohibits the reconstitution and combination of powdered milk to produce certain products, such as soft hard cheese, morolique, quesillo, pasteurized milk, among others.

The MAG seeks to control the use of powdered milk, because the establishments must comply with the legislation, as well as the plants that import dairy products.

According to Saravia, companies use this type of process to produce foods such as cheese, milk and yogurt; they affect the quality because it is a product that has already been subjected to high temperatures to dry and loses its nutritional properties (proteins, vitamins and minerals). He also said that, without these nutrients, the population is consuming unhealthy foods.

In addition, the use of powdered milk represents a disadvantage for the livestock sector, because it is a cheaper process, of lower quality and low price, and cannot compete with the cost of products made with cow's milk.

The MAG points out that farmers have complained because they sell fluid milk to the plants, not powdered milk, and this affects them directly because they are no longer selling their milk at a good price.

The Ministry indicated that it is trying to train suppliers to deliver class A and B milk to the plants, and to stop using powdered milk.