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CATEGORÍA Institutional
LATU is a key player in the development and competitiveness of Uruguay’s dairy industry
Five pillars establish LATU as a strategic ally of the dairy sector, which directly impacts the health and quality of life of Uruguayans.
For 60 years, LATU’s work has spanned the entire value chain—from certification and regulatory monitoring to innovation, metrology, and technology transfer.
- Certification and regulatory monitoring
We ensure compliance with national and international requirements through export certificates, audits, and interlaboratory comparison tests with numerous national laboratories, enabling validation of analyses required for export, as well as contaminant and other parameter analyses for agencies such as MGAP and DILAVE. This service for the exporting dairy industry is provided free of charge. - R&D with the dairy sector (through Latitud – Fundación LATU)
Uruguay is Latin America’s leading dairy exporter; its main exports are milk powder, cheese, and butter. In recent years, the country has also begun producing dairy ingredients that can be incorporated into food formulations. Latitud has built capabilities to support ventures across this product range, enabling the development of nutritional formulations, including infant formulas. We work with CONAPROLE and other key institutions in the sector to drive productivity improvements, microbiological and enzymatic quality, food safety, and the development of new ingredients and health‑benefit products. Selected projects include: the Dairy Sector Technology Network with CONAPROLE, INALE, Udelar, and UTEC; development of dairy ingredients; Innovagro Vitamin B12; and support for switching disinfectants in industrial plants and dairy farms. We are also advancing the assessment of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in dairy products. To date, Uruguay lacks both this analytical technique and data on the presence of these compounds in foods, making this project a milestone for national science and for the safety of the dairy value chain. - Quality infrastructure and metrology
As the National Metrology Institute, we operate internationally recognized analytical laboratories that perform systematic controls across multiple dairy products. - Technology transfer to the sector
We deliver differential value to artisanal cheesemaking through certification schemes, good‑practice manuals, pilot projects, and auditor training. We validate requirements in real plants, transfer knowledge, and enable systematic audits. We also strengthen artisanal processes in milking, processing, specific technologies, and sensory evaluation—always with a good‑practices approach. This work involves MIEM, INALE, ADQA, LATU, MGAP, OPP, Latitud, and producers. We also promote alignment with international standards and the professionalization of SMEs. - International recognition and technical exchanges
We collaborate with other countries to facilitate market access and performance for exporting companies in global markets.
Our commitment to the dairy sector is ongoing, helping to advance its path toward a more competitive and innovative industry.
Check out current initiatives that strengthen joint work and innovation across the dairy value chain:
Instagram posts
- Latitud researcher in the dairy value chain
- Participation in a global dairy meeting
- Project to measure vitamin B12 concentration in Uruguayan milk
- Conference at a symposium on milk‑applied technology
Recent projects on our website:
