TBILISI, November 18 – Georgia’s National Food Agency warned on Tuesday that milk and dairy products sold at informal street markets pose a real risk to consumers’ health.
In a statement released in Tbilisi, the agency said it is carrying out non-stop monitoring of milk production from the farm level to the point of sale. Inspectors are checking whether products are properly labeled, whether expiry dates are respected and whether sellers are keeping dairy at the required temperatures.
According to the agency, specialists regularly take samples of milk and dairy products for laboratory testing. Raw milk is examined inside collection centers and processing plants before it can be turned into cheese, yogurt or other dairy items. The agency said it publishes the results of these checks on an ongoing basis.
Officials emphasized that milk produced in Georgia is tested for 24 different indicators. These include brucellosis, antibiotic residues, aflatoxin, lead and other substances that can pose serious health concerns.
The agency also said it is prioritizing the identification of unregistered dairy producers. A nationwide inspection campaign discovered 45 such producers operating outside state regulations. Around 20 of them have since contacted the authorities and begun bringing their operations into legal compliance.
The warning issued on Tuesday focuses on what Georgian officials describe as the biggest risk: dairy bought from unregulated stalls, roadside sales points or informal markets. These outlets are common throughout the country, especially in rural areas, where many families rely on small-scale farm income. However, the agency says products sold in these places cannot be traced, which means consumers have no way of knowing whether the milk has been tested or kept safely.
The statement notes that consuming unchecked animal-origin products carries a “high risk” of dangerous infections. The agency urged citizens to avoid buying milk from unorganized market locations and report violations to the national hotline.
