Traditional Products as an Important Part of Montenegrin Heritage: Food Safety, Veterinary, and Phytosanitary Affairs Directorate Discusses New Legal Opportunities with Producers

Due to the specifics of production, two sessions were organized: the first attended by 28 producers from the meat industry, and the second by five producers from the dairy industry. The director of the Directorate, Vladimir Đaković, stated that producers and the Directorate share a common task and emphasized the importance of providing producers with clear information about legal possibilities related to traditional production. This includes deviations and adjustments to certain hygiene requirements for facilities producing food with traditional characteristics, as outlined in regulation 59/26. Producers are required to submit data on the name and geographic origin of the product, a description of the product and production process, storage and aging conditions, materials and equipment used, and a description of the production space. During the discussions, producers raised questions about how to prove the tradition of their products, including old records, photographs, family or regional recipes, and the use of wooden objects and equipment in contact with food, as well as monitoring quality and safety parameters, microbiological verification, costs, and timelines. The meeting facilitated direct information exchange between producers and the Directorate, with the shared goal of preserving traditional products and their authentic production methods while maintaining food safety standards to protect consumers.