too much waste and costs – Corriere.it

Too much waste in the store and in distribution, too much milk that stays in the fridge and then the habits of families who no longer go shopping every day have changed and, especially after the pandemic, go in search of products with a longer life expectancy. long. This is why Granarolo is evaluating the replacement of fresh milk with a new pasteurized product with a ten-day expiry date. A much longer life expectancy than the limit imposed by Italian law, unique in Europe, which sets the maximum term for obtaining the “fresh milk” label at six days.

Calzolari: “Inadequate standards”

«It was the market that chose», says Gianpiero Calzolari, the president of the Bolognese cooperative made up of about 600 farmers from 12 Italian regions with a total turnover of over 1.2 billion. «The rules on fresh milk are inadequate, we have asked without success to change them. But the market is smarter and has adapted by itself – adds Calzolari -. The consumer is increasingly choosing foods with a longer shelf life, because they no longer shop as often as before. And then there is the issue of sustainability, throwing away a liter of milk is a crime». In recent months, the company has been testing the new pasteurized milk. Eyes closed, the tasters found no differences between the two drinks in terms of taste and the nutritional values ​​are maintained. Once the tests are over, the sales figures in stores now confirm the preference for milk that lasts longer. «The results are very positive, we already have a reduction in returns. Even the large-scale retail chains have the same feedback, they too ask for more milk in ten days», continues Calzolari. At this point, it is probable that the replacement will take place during 2023. “The new packaging has a better environmental impact, the cap reduces plastic by 35% and does not detach from the bottle as required by the European Union”.

A center dedicated to innovation

Speaking of milk, the group – which has just chosen the multi-medal swimmer Gregorio Paltrinieri as its testimonial – continues to work on the development of new products. For this he plans to build a large center dedicated to innovation. «For some time now we have started working with vertical processes on sustainability, this means involving not only research, but also logistics, the agricultural part and the livestock supply chain» adds Calzolari. The new Innovation Center will be dedicated to all of this, which «will be built next to our plant in Bologna, we hope to inaugurate it by 2024». The most pressing emergency, however, is that of drought. «If it doesn’t rain, there is a lack of fodder and therefore a lack of products. Today there is no problem of lack of milk, but it is not excluded that there will be in the future – concludes Calzolari -. When there is water, then, we can’t even hold it, it’s a real absurdity. For this it is necessary to have more basins. After last year’s crisis we heard a lot of talk, but there was no real initiative. We need greater timeliness, drought is an emergency and must be treated as such”.