The exports of Gorgonzola and other Italian blue cheeses to China shall soon be restarted. The good news has been communicated to Assolatte (Italian dairies producers’ association) by the Italian embassy in Beijing. The unannounced blockade against Italian blue cheeses was established at the end of August by Chinese health authorities. It was immediately denounced by Assolatte, as it put at risk a very promising market for Italian dairy products. The situation has been resolved by China’s Ministry of Health, which in an official statement confirms that these products – while exceeding the limits laid down by local legislation for fermented yeasts – are safe and can be marketed in China.
A law to be updated
The solution came at the end of an intense work involving the Ministries concerned and the general manager of Italy’s Ministry of Health in his recent visit to China. Now – says the President of Assolatte Giuseppe Ambrosi – we have a long-term need to collaborate with AQSIQ (the Chinese Food Safety Agency) to update the current Chinese legislation on dairy products, thus avoiding the possible repetition of new blocks to our exports. On this issue, the Italian and French embassies are working on a technical meeting to be held in Beijing, during which the national and EU authorities – together with entrepreneurs’ delegations – will demonstrate to Chinese counterparts the safety features that dairy industry confers on blue cheeses. The positive solution of this situation makes us very hopeful for the future. The Chinese market is becoming increasingly interesting for our business – states Mr. Ambrosi. Between 2015 and 2016, Italian cheeses sales rose up by 42% (2650 tonnes in volume). Moreover, in the first 7 months of this year there was a further leap forward: + 32% over the same period of 2016, exceeding 2.2 thousand tonnes.