Overview
- The Milchproduktqualitätsverordnung becomes effective on Sunday, June 14, 2026, creating a single rulebook that replaces four separate milk laws and sets binding labeling requirements.
- Products labeled “laktosefrei” must contain less than 0.1 g of lactose per 100 g or ml and must show that figure on the pack, with special rules that require powdered products to list both powder and reconstituted lactose levels.
- The word “frisch” may be used only under strict conditions: consumable milk must have at most three weeks’ shelf life at 8°C, fermented products face a two‑week limit and must not be reheated after fermentation, and butter, condensed milk and dry milk cannot be labeled “frisch.”
- Terms for heat treatment such as pasteurised, UHT and sterilised are now tied to defined procedures, and packs must list all animal milk species and their percentage shares or note any plant‑based replacements and added vitamins or minerals.
- Consumers should see clearer labels in stores and people with lactose intolerance or allergies will get better protection, while producers and retailers must update packaging and declarations ahead of the law taking effect.