'The evidence on which the SIC bases its claims is flawed': San Mateo on sanction

Lácteos Hacienda San Mateo, one of the four companies that the Superintendency of Industry and Commerce (SIC) imposed sanctions on for presenting a product with added whey as sanitized whole milk , denied the accusations.

“SIC has disclosed information that does not correspond to the reality of the process, violating our right to due process and affecting our reputation. We strongly reject the dissemination of partial and decontextualized information that generates alarm among consumers and the market without adequate technical support ,” said Yoli Cristina Muñoz, legal advisor of the company.

According to Lácteos Hacienda San Mateo, the tests on which the SIC bases its claims present technical flaws , since the “only” evidence used is the analysis of samples taken by the Invima laboratory, which was not accredited for the determination of Caseinomacropeptide (CftllP) at the time of the analysis.

“The expert reports carried out by independent experts show that the results of the samples are not conclusive and do not prove the alleged addition of whey ,” explained Erica Furque, head of quality at the company.

The company claims that the legal procedure for taking samples, the chain of custody and the delivery of counter-samples was not respected, which affects the validity of the test used.

“None of the company's processes compromise the purity or composition of UHT milk. We have complied with all administrative requirements, providing technical and legal evidence supporting the integrity of production,” they concluded.