Sante, one of Georgia’s largest dairy companies, has issued a statement regarding the recent investigative report by Radio Liberty.
“Sante has been the largest milk processing company in Georgia since 1997, collecting and processing up to 20 million liters of milk annually. The company collaborates with the largest farms in the country and operates milk collection points nationwide.
Sante has implemented the strictest quality control standards for milk, including antibiotic testing, fat and protein identification, and microbiological analysis. If milk does not meet quality standards, it is returned to the farm and not used in production.
In 2018, Sante identified inconsistencies in milk supplied by Kvareli Baga, specifically the presence of antibiotics. This was confirmed by documented evidence, and as a result, the company refused to accept or use the milk in its production process.
Sante’s internal quality control standards, which align with European regulations and certifications such as ISO and HACCP, ensure that any milk failing to meet quality requirements is not utilized in production.
Sante remains committed to producing the highest-quality and safest dairy products for the entire country,” the statement reads.
The statement follows an investigative report by Radio Liberty, which uncovered that Kvareli Baga, Georgia’s largest raw milk farm owned by pro-government businessman Lasha Papashvili, had been feeding its cows with chicken manure, a practice banned in the European Union.
According to the investigation, Kvareli Baga supplied milk to major dairy companies, including Sante, Soplis Nobati, Agrohub, and Milk Laboratory.
