Alf Mizzi & Sons (Marketing) Group has strongly rebutted what it termed as "unjustified, negative aspersions from sources whose milk is exempt from compliance with various EU standards", in an obvious reference to Benna, the local milk company.

It was replying to a statement issued by the Malta-EU Information Centre (MIC), commenting on adverts that had been placed in the media questioning the quality of local milk.

MIC said on Monday that an advertiser "who has remained anonymous to the readers of local newspapers", had quoted a special edition of Aggornat which MIC published in January 2003, explaining the results of negotiations on the agricultural sector.

MIC said it reserved the right to take "further action on these anonymous adverts" and that whoever published these adverts on milk should have had the decency to inform readers about his/her identity before trying to advise consumers by quoting MIC publications and conveniently failing to include all the facts.

While stating that it was not its intention to comment on the quality of the locally produced milk, Alf Mizzi & Sons objected to Benna's TV commercial criticising imported, EU-compliant milk when it had "sought so many concessions and derogations from the same regulations".

The company felt the concessions for Benna did "not place local milk in very good light and that, rather than slighting imported UHT (long life) milk for not being fresh, Malta Dairy Products should recognise that while such milk is compliant with EU rules, Maltese milk need not be".

Alf Mizzi & Sons hoped that the TV commercial would be altered and it reserved the right to take the necessary steps to safeguard its interests and those of its suppliers.

While singing the praises of fresh milk, the TV commercial sought to denigrate the quality of UHT long-life milk. Alf Mizzi & Sons pointed out that it was not normal practice in Malta for adverts to knock competing products and it was considered "rather audacious" for MDP to do so.