China’s Dairy Industry: From Catching Up to Surpassing EU Standards in Core Indicators

Recently, the 16th China Dairy Industry Conference kicked off in Xiamen, with the official release of “The China Solution for Global Dairy: A Modernization Report on High-Quality Dairy Industry Development.” The report showcases the rapid progress of China’s dairy industry: core indicators including protein content, fat content, somatic cell count, and total bacterial count in fresh milk from large-scale Chinese dairy farms not only meet but also surpass EU standards.

Guests at the conference stated that, in terms of key indicators, the milk protein and fat contents of fresh milk from large-scale Chinese dairy farms have reached 3.3% and 3.8%, respectively. Indicators such as total bacterial and somatic cell counts are better than EU standards. The average milk yield per cow in large-scale dairy farms now generally exceeds 10 tons per year, reaching internationally advanced levels.

Notably, the total bacterial count, a core indicator that objectively reflects the comprehensive management level and hygiene conditions of dairy farms, is capped by the EU at ≤100,000 CFU/mL for raw milk. In contrast, Yili’s milk achieved an average total bacterial count of well below 10,000 CFU/mL for two consecutive years in 2023 and 2024—marking a groundbreaking advancement.

Professor Li Shengli from China Agricultural University and Chief Scientist of the National Dairy Cattle Industry Technology System stated in an interview, “The quality and safety of Chinese milk are well guaranteed, and it is completely safe to drink.”

Liu Chunxi, Senior Executive President of Yili Group, remarked, “As an industry leader, Yili has both witnessed and driven the remarkable transformation of China’s dairy industry from catching up to surpassing. In this new era and on this new journey, Yili will work alongside our peers in the Chinese dairy industry to uphold high-quality development and strive to write a new chapter in China’s modernized dairy industry.”