Israel has updated its food safety standards for milk, cheese, and yogurt through two technical barriers notifications, aligning with updated additive and foodstuff regulations.
Israel Tightens Additive Rules for Dairy
New restrictions on substances and safety thresholds apply to milk, cheese, and yogurt.
What changed
Restrictions on certain substances in milk, cheese, and yogurt products.
Updated safety thresholds mandated for dairy products across multiple HS classifications.
Compliance tied to HS codes 040229, 040221, 040310, and 040320.
Who it affects
Dairy importers must ensure products meet new additive restrictions and safety thresholds.
Suppliers of milk, cheese, yogurt must verify goods fall under the listed HS codes.
Compliance Update: Israel’s Updated Food Safety Standards for Milk, Cheese, and Yogurt
Israel has recently updated its food safety standards for milk, cheese, and yogurt through two technical barriers to trade (TBT) notifications, aligning with revised regulations on food additives and microbiological criteria for foodstuffs. The changes introduce new specifications for food additives and stricter Listeria monocytogenes controls for ready-to-eat foods, including dairy products. Below is a structured analysis of the key requirements, deadlines, and regulatory authorities.
Regulation Analysis
1. Food Additives Updates
Israel has adopted amendments to the specifications of certain food additives, mirroring updates to EU Regulation 231/2012 and Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008. The changes apply to cellulose-based additives and steviol glycosides, with phased implementation deadlines:
| Regulation | Key Requirement | Deadline | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Health Protection (Food) (Application of Changes to the Annex to EU Regulation 231/2012), 5785 – 20251 | – Adopts EU 2025/652: Specifications for "Steviol glycosides from fermentation" (new additive)1. – Updates purity criteria for cellulose derivatives (E 460–E 469), including methyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, and enzymatically hydrolysed carboxy methyl cellulose, per EU 2025/6661. | – Steviol glycosides: 25 August 2025 – Cellulose derivatives: 27 December 2025 | Ministry of Health (Israel) / WTO TBT Committee1 |
| Text of final measure | Available at:1(https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2025/TBT/ISR/final_measure/25_05333_00_x.pdf)1. | N/A | WTO TBT Committee1 |
Key Implications for Dairy Products:
- Manufacturers using cellulose-based additives (e.g., thickeners, stabilizers) in milk, cheese, or yogurt must ensure compliance with the updated purity specifications by 27 December 20251.
- Steviol glycosides from fermentation (a sweetener) may now be used in dairy products, subject to the new specifications effective 25 August 20251.
2. Microbiological Criteria for Foodstuffs
Israel has aligned its microbiological standards with EU Regulation 2073/2005, as amended by EU 2024/2895, introducing stricter controls for Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat (RTE) foods, including dairy products like soft cheeses and yogurt:
| Regulation | Key Requirement | Deadline | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Health Protection (Food) Notice (Application of Changes to EU Regulation 2073/2005), 5785 – 20252 | – RTE foods (excluding infant formula/special medical foods) capable of supporting Listeria monocytogenes growth must meet one of two criteria: 1. "Not detected in 25g" throughout shelf life OR 2. ≤100 cfu/g if the food business operator (FBO) can prove the limit is not exceeded over shelf life2. – FBOs must validate shelf-life controls to the satisfaction of the competent authority2. | 1 July 2026 | Ministry of Health (Israel) / WTO TBT Committee2 |
Key Implications for Dairy Products:
- Soft cheeses, fresh cheeses, and yogurts (RTE dairy products) are likely to fall under this regulation due to their potential to support Listeria monocytogenes growth2.
- FBOs must either:
- Ensure zero detection of Listeria monocytogenes in 25g samples or
- Demonstrate (via testing/data) that the bacteria does not exceed 100 cfu/g over the product’s shelf life2.
- Validation requirements: FBOs must provide evidence (e.g., challenge tests, historical data) to the competent authority to justify compliance with the ≤100 cfu/g limit2.
Summary Answer
Israel’s updated food safety standards for milk, cheese, and yogurt introduce two key regulatory changes:
- Food Additives: New specifications for steviol glycosides (effective 25 August 2025) and updated purity criteria for cellulose-based additives (effective 27 December 2025), aligning with EU regulations1. Dairy manufacturers must review additive usage to ensure compliance with the revised standards.
- Microbiological Criteria: Stricter Listeria monocytogenes controls for RTE dairy products (e.g., soft cheeses, yogurts) take effect on 1 July 2026, requiring either zero detection or validated ≤100 cfu/g limits over shelf life2. Food business operators must prepare validation data to demonstrate compliance to the competent authority.
Both measures are published under Israel’s Public Health Protection (Food) framework and are enforceable by the Ministry of Health1, 2. The full texts of the final measures are available via the WTO TBT notifications1, 2.
Sources
- ↩ Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade – Notification – Israel – Food additives – Addendum https://docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/SS/directdoc.aspx?filename=Q:/G/TBTN25/ISR1402A1.pdf&Open=True
- ↩ Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade – Notification – Israel – Foodstuffs – Addendum https://docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/SS/directdoc.aspx?filename=Q:/G/TBTN25/ISR1398A1.pdf&Open=True