European milk producers, particularly from the Netherlands, aim to boost their sales by marketing milk that has been transported over long distances as if it were fresh. They seek to compete with locally produced products by giving the impression that their milk maintains its freshness despite extensive travel.
In 2014, the Troika pressured Greece to remove the label "fresh" from its genuinely fresh milk and mandated a longer shelf life. This regulation reflects broader tensions within the European market, where quality standards and consumer perceptions are influenced by economic policies.