The first draft of a new national standard for fresh milk has recently been published and solicited public opinion. According to the new standard, fresh milk will be divided into three categories according to the number of bacteria per milliliter. Milk of a higher quality will be sold at correspondingly higher prices. The quality of raw milk will be marked on packages in the future.

Currently, milk of differing quality is usually sold at the same price because a unified standard is applied to all raw milk in China, and many milk companies combine milk of varying quality. The new standard will prompt milk companies to use better milk in pursuit of higher profits and upgrade the entire industrial chain.

The number of small and medium-sized milk farms has reduced sharply, with mostly large companies remaining. The lower standard introduced in 2010 to protect the interests of small producers is therefore outdated. The quality of raw milk depends to a large extent on the hygiene of the production process because the number of bacteria in milk increases exponentially once it is exposed to air. Higher quality milk can be produced only by improving processing technologies and upgrading the milk industry.

However, some Internet users have expressed concern that milk companies might mix low- and high-quality milk in order to save costs. Regulatory departments should therefore strictly enforce the new standard to avoid the exploitation of customers. Additives should also be strictly controlled to reduce health risks.

(This is an edited excerpt of an article published in Qianjiang Evening News on March 8)