ARPO has taken an active role in the solution of problems connected to food safety. In 1996 EU determined that for food safety purposes milk must be gathered and processed in tiled premises with hot/cod water sources, bathrooms devided into accessing hall and toilet, and so on. As a matter of fact, nowadays most sheep-breeders work for at least 5 months a year (from june to november) in poor refuges with no water nor light nor bathroom, located on wide pastures at 1500 m above sea level. This means that after 1996 determination, before the European authorities almost all sheep-breeders are illegal!
In oder to prevent law prosecutions, ARPO has deviced a solution (waiting for the County Authorities to lay out an Atlas of traditional products that can be produced in derogation of 1996 EU law). The solution is the mobile dairy, i.e. a container fitted with trolley, in comply with all the legal standars.
ARPO mobile dairies have allowed a large number of small farmers to process milk all year round, as they could move their dairy to lower altitude from November to May, then up to high altitude during the rest of the year.
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