INDUSTRIA LECHERA

Decree No. 399

Regulations governing the exception provided for in Article 3 of Decree Law 20,309

Bs. As. 1/2/74

VISTO this file No. 62.182/73 of the registration of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Decree-Law No. 20.309/73, which prohibits the total or partial substitution of the normal and intrinsic components of milk and the presence of substitutes for them, and

CONSIDERING:

It is appropriate to issue the regulatory rules of the exception provided for in article 3;

That it is necessary to regulate the registration of industrial plants that produce products admitted by the Argentine Food Code in which the natural components of milk are replaced in whole or part in the registry created by Article 5o and the way in which the processing in such establishments will be controlled.

Therefore, the legal opinion of foils 11 and the proposal of the Minister of Economy,

THE PRESIDENT OF THE ARGENTINA NATION
RIGHT:

Article 1 - Within thirty (30) days of the present decree, the industrialists included in the exception provided for in article 3 of Decree Law No. 20.309/73 shall require the Ministry of State of Agriculture and shall obtain the corresponding qualification of the or establishments for the production of dietic powder or powdered products for animal food.

Lactious industrialists who wish to subsequently initiate the activities provided for in article 3 of the Decree-Law shall previously require their authorization to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. The express authorization of the application authority for experimental preparations prior to the launch of the products will also be necessary.

Art. 2o - The application for qualification shall include the products produced or the production, marking or designation of the product and its formulation, indicating the replaced components, the substitutes used and their quantity per unit of the product produced. A copy of the certificate of authorization of the product issued by competent authority shall be accompanied.

Any change in the stated formulation shall be communicated to the enforcement authority together with the affidavit provided for in article 6 of the present decree and within the time limits specified therein.

Art. 3o - Within sixty (60) days of the present decree, those required by article 5 of Decree-Law No. 20.309/73 shall be registered in the registry to be authorized by the Ministry of State for Agriculture and Livestock, which is empowered to extend the period if it considers it necessary in the light of the inconveniences that may arise.

After the registration period, industrialists who wish to initiate activities under Article 5 of the aforementioned Decree-Law must register previously in the aforementioned registry.

Art. 4o - Together with the application for registration, the obligation will provide the following data:

(a) Name and social reason.

(b) Administration office.

(c) Property Location: location, location, location (city and number), province, party or department.

(d) Distance to the nearest dairy establishment.

(e) Products that produce: marking and designation and copying of the sanitary authorization of competent authority.

(f) Labels circulating the products.

(g) Product development, indicating the replaced components.

(h) Substitutes used and quantity per unit of product.

(i) Name of the owner of the building and facilities.

(j) Details of the establishments owned by the firm and branches in which it operates.

Any change in the formulation of the products or the incorporation of new products in the elaboration of the establishment shall be communicated to the Secretariat of State of Agriculture and Livestock together with the affidavit created by article 6 of the present decree and within the time limits set for submission.

Art. 5o - The Secretary of State for Agriculture and Livestock shall grant each registered establishment a number of establishment to be applied indelible form on the product or on the container that is in close contact with it, when its nature does not allow it to be applied on it.

Art. 6o - Before the day ten (10) of each month, the industrialists included in Articles 3 and 5 of Decree Law No. 20.309/73 shall submit to the Secretariat of State of Agriculture and Livestock, as an affidavit, a detail of the development and existence of processed products and raw materials used, with particular reference to the substitutes, in the previous month.

This information will include inputs and outputs for every concept and stocks on the first and last day of each month.

Art. 7o - For the purpose of monitoring compliance with these standards, staff designated by the State Secretariat for Agriculture and Livestock for such functions shall have free access to establishments to review the entry and control tables for the receipt of raw materials and the production statistics, verify the treatment and industrialization processes, the raw materials and substances used in the development, the instruments and substances used for the analysis and the products produced in transit.

The national units and the agencies representing the public force will provide the cooperation or assistance required by the inspectors authorized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.

Art. 8o - Violation of these rules shall be subject to penalties under article 6 of Decree-Law No. 20.309/73.

Art. 9o - Contact, post, give to the National Directorate of the Official Register and archvese.

PERON
José B. Gelbard.