The Swiss Dairy Inspection and Advisory Service (DIAS) – a review of a ten year old pioneer work

For ten years until the extension of equivalence with EC legislation to all food products of animal origin, the Swiss Dairy Inspection and Advisory Service DIAS has delivered competent services to ensure that the requirements for export of the Swiss dairy sector were met with. DIAS has contributed to a high degree to attain high levels in food safety and quality of milk and dairy products. The different evolution of DIAS duties and changes in the environment impeded the perception of these tasks in a single organizational unit. By creating specific centres of competence and the almost complete transfer of former DIAS collaborators to new centres, the knowledge and experience of ten years of practice will not be lost.