Milk, as one of the basic raw materials of animal origin, must be of adequate hygienic and physicochemical quality for processing. The aim of the article was to compare the quality of raw milk from three production systems, intensive, traditional (together referred to as conventional), and organic, as material for processing, as well as the quality of products made from it. Particular attention was focused on hygienic quality (somatic cell count and total bacterial count), physical characteristics (acidity), basic nutritional value (content of dry matter, total protein, casein, fat, and lactose), content of health-promoting substances (whey proteins, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals), and technological parameters (rennet clotting time, heat stability, and protein-to-fat ratio). Research assessing the quality of organic milk and dairy products is significantly less extensive (if available at all) than for milk from conventional production (intensive and traditional). The available reports indicate that raw milk from organic farms is more valuable, especially in terms of the content of health-promoting compounds, including vitamins, fatty acids, whey proteins, and minerals. This applies to organic dairy products as well, mainly cheese and yoghurt. This is explained by the fact that organic farming requires that animals are kept in the pasture. However, the hygienic quality of the raw milk, and often the products as well, raises some concerns; for this reason, organic milk producers should be supported in this regard, e.g., through consultancy and training in Good Hygienic Practices. Importantly, milk production in the traditional and organic systems is in line with the concept of the European Green Deal.

Purpose Global demand for organic milk products gives an opportunity to Polish organic farmers and dairies to supply national, European Union and international milk markets. The purpose of this paper is to review the historic and contemporary changes in organic milk production and processing in Poland, in order to identify the main factors of influence and to propose the direction of future market and policy development in the sector. Design/methodology/approach In this study, secondary data from a range of literature sources and databases are analysed. The Lorenz’s concentration ratio is applied to the data derived to evaluate the degree of concentration of certified organic farms in the different regions of Poland and conclusions are drawn as a result. Findings Organic dairy farm operations in Poland are small scale and territorially dispersed. Although there is some evidence of growing supply concentration, Polish processors of organic milk face multiple barriers to development not least a lack of continuity of supplies. Whilst global markets are of interest, the development of alternative, innovative food networks in Poland that focus on provenance, integrity and promoting the special health benefits of organic milk would be of value to the sector, but further cooperation and integration is essential to take advantage of these market opportunities. Originality/value This research underpins the need for appropriate national policies in Poland for the development and actualisation of a dynamic organic milk supply system that delivers value to local, regional and international markets.

The purpose of this paper was to determine structural changes in Poland's dairy industry and assess their impact on the efficiency of dairies. It was not until the mid-nineties that the process of concentrating milk processing and the rationalization of its production began in the country. Technical and economical work efficiency have improved. By also taking the dynamic increase in sales profitability into account, one can draw some positive conclusions about the intensive management seen within the dairy sector. Dairies should not only improve their position on the domestic and foreign markets, but also strengthen vertical integration with milk producers.

W artykule dokonano oceny bezpieczeństwa żywnościowego produktów mleczarskich w Polsce w najważniejszym jej wymiarze, tj. dostępności żywności. Dominującą rolę w przetwórstwie mleka w Polsce zajmują spółdzielnie mleczarskie. Stanowią 62% wszystkich mleczarni w kraju, mając udział w skupie mleka na poziomie 72%. Dlatego nowym ujęciem w powyższych rozważaniach jest uwzględnienie roli spółdzielni. Zakres czasowy pracy obejmuje okres po transformacji gospodarki, a szczegółowe dane o asortymencie badanych mleczarni lata 2013 i 2017, ze względu na dostęp do porównywalnych danych z raportów mleczarskich. W badaniach wykorzystano także dane GUS i IERiGŻPIB. Polska od 1990 r. znacząco zwiększyła samowystarczalność w zakresie produkcji mleka i produktów mleczarskich. Potencjał produkcyjny polskiego rolnictwa i przetwórstwa wystarcza do wyprodukowania mleka i jego przetworów zapewniających odpowiedni poziom wyżywienia ludności w kraju. Pomimo spadku liczby spółdzielni mleczarskich są one dominującą formą w przetwórstwie mleka. W każdym województwie występują spółdzielnie mleczarskie. Większość spółdzielni mleczarskich (ponad 62%) oferuje szeroki asortyment wyrobów mleczarskich (od pięciu do ośmiu rodzajów produktów), ale jest to wyraźnie mniejszy udział niż kilka lat temu (74%). Rośnie specjalizacja spółdzielni i już prawie co trzecia oferuje nie więcej niż cztery produkty. Większość mleczarni oferujących najpopularniejszy mleczarski asortyment tj. mleko płynne, sery świeże, śmietanę, masło i napoje mleczne to spółdzielnie mleczarskie (od 71% do 83%). W przypadku innych wyrobów ich udział jest mniejszy (od 44% do 71%). W każdym województwie znajdują się zakłady spółdzielcze produkujące podstawowe artykuły mleczarskie. Zapewnienie dostępności fizycznej do produktów mleczarskich, a także trwały dostęp do żywności w każdym regionie kraju gwarantują spółdzielnie mleczarskie.

The purpose of the work was to indicate the role of food industry enterprises in Poland. The paper presents comparative analyses over time, using the longest time horizon possible in terms of access to data. The work used statistical data published by the Central Statistical Office of Poland and Eurostat. A comparative analysis of the size of the food industry to the size of industrial processing was also used. When determining the physical availability of food that is provided by agriculture and the food industry, agricultural balances were used and the food self-sufficiency ratio calculated (i.e. the relation between domestic production and domestic use). The supply approach was used in line with the theory of industry structure. History confirmed that the agricultural raw material processing industry is more often located in the central and western parts of Poland. The production sold by over 17,000 entities (243 billion) constitutes over 1/5 of sold production of industrial processing. Every sixth employee in industrial processing is employed in the food industry, and their number has increased in recent years to 422,600. Despite the decrease in the number of enterprises, the value of sales of their products is growing, which is influenced partly by increasing production volume. The number and importance of large enterprises is growing. Although they constitute less than 2%, they are responsible for almost 56% of the value of sales, employing 46% of the employees. The phenomenon of food industry concentration has been growing in recent years. The degree of food self-sufficiency is maintained in most products. Apart from a few products, domestic consumption decreases when domestic production increases. The limited absorbency of the internal market, with growing imports, forces food industry companies to develop exports.