Significant changes are being planned for Georgia’s dairy products market, under which products made with non-natural milk ingredients—such as vegetable fats, milk powder, or other substitutes—will be clearly separated from natural dairy products both on packaging and in retail stores. The initiative introduces a special visual marking system to help consumers distinguish between product types.
According to Anna Mikadze-Chikvaidze, Chair of the Cheese Association and a researcher of Georgian cheese history, the new regulation will apply to both producers and retailers. Supermarkets, hypermarkets, and local shops will be required to place non-natural dairy products in separate sections, alongside clearly visible labeling.
She said the proposal has already been discussed in several working meetings at the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, with the latest session held at the initiative of the minister. Mikadze-Chikvaidze emphasized that consumers often cannot properly identify product composition based on small-print labels, which created the need for clearer visual separation.
The reform also includes a voluntary quality label for products made from 100% Georgian raw milk, while mandatory marking will apply to products containing vegetable fats. Authorities say the goal is to improve transparency in the market, strengthen local producers, and align Georgia’s retail practices with international standards.
