The production of modified starches for the dairy industry is under the control of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, writes FINMARKET.RU, citing a statement from the department.
“The Ministry of Agriculture is in constant contact with dairy producers, who confirm that they are currently working stably and provided with everything necessary,” the ministry’s press release says. Oleg Radin, President of the Association of Grain Deep Processing Enterprises (Soyuzkrakhmal), added that in a number of regions of the Russian Federation it is planned to commission new facilities for the production of various modified starches – up to 45 thousand tons per year. For 9 months of 2022, the production of yogurts decreased by 16% -for a decrease in demand, the publication reports. As Natalia Dobrynina, senior vice president of Viola LLC, told reporters, the supply of starch, as well as a number of other ingredients and packaging materials, was stopped last year due to sanctions. “For the company’s products until 2022, an ingredient from European countries was used, but at the moment, Russian-made corn starch is used. In terms of its properties and quality characteristics, it fully meets the requirements of the company and is not inferior to the ingredients that were previously used,” she said. At the same time, alternative suppliers are being selected, which makes it possible to carry out the necessary audits in time, conduct tests and select solutions that ensure the continuity of production processes and at the same time do not change the taste and quality of products. In particular, several suppliers from Asian countries were selected. According to Andrei Romanov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ABH Zalesye (one of the leading agricultural holdings in the Kaliningrad region), Andrey Romanov, the enterprises of the holding are provided with starch for the production of yogurt for several months in advance, the production process is running smoothly. “At the same time, we are looking for alternative suppliers in Russia and in friendly countries, ordering and testing samples. There are enough offers on the market, we expect to find suitable solutions within two months. Accordingly, we do not expect any problems with the release of our products and plan to expand production this year,” he said.
The Efko company, which uses starch only for thick vegetable yoghurts, has more than half a year of its stock, said Yevgeny Shulepov, director of the brand division. “A replacement for European starch has been found – on the domestic market and in China. Now production is going on as usual,” he said. As Kommersant reported on Tuesday, yogurt producers fear a shortage of food-grade modified starches, which are used as thickeners.
