Dairy Giant Lactalis Faces Legal Challenges Over Alleged Product Adulteration

On February 12, 2025, Colombia's Superintendence of Industry and Commerce (SIC) imposed substantial sanctions totaling over 21 billion pesos on four dairy companies, including Lactalis, for alleged deception and regulatory violations.

The SIC accused companies such as Gloria, Lactalis, Hacienda San Mateo, and Sabanalac of adding whey to pasteurized whole milk. This practice, the regulator claims, misleads consumers who are unable to detect the presence of this substance and hinders their decision-making regarding the quality and nature of the dairy products they purchase.

Company Response

In response, Lactalis Colombia, a key player in the dairy sector with renowned brands like Parmalat and Proleche, plans to appeal the SIC's decision. They argue the accusations damage the company's reputation and question the integrity of their national products. According to Lactalis, the SIC ignored substantial evidence they provided during the five-year investigation.

Lactalis asserts that their internal standards align with the world’s best practices and strongly disagree with the findings, which they claim lack legal grounding. Despite this, Lactalis emphasizes commitment to a fair milk market in Colombia, supporting a level playing field for all competitors regardless of size or economic power.

SIC Findings

The SIC report from February 12 revealed that the involved companies possibly misled consumers by using whey in their dairy products. Detailed inspections, including those conducted with Invima, discovered whey inventories that companies could not justify in non-milk products and lower costs indicative of cheaper raw materials usage.