Russian Government simplified dairy product marking
Mandatory marking of dairy products began on June 1 with the cheese and ice cream product groups and will take place in several stages. Marking will reduce counterfeiting and ensure traceability “from cow to counter”. To date, 100% of cheese producers and 89% of ice cream producers have joined the system. For companies that have not yet managed to establish all the processes, the CRPT and the relevant agencies are in close contact and deal with all the issues on a 24/7 basis.
A new Russian Government Resolution No. 843 of May 31, 2021 has been adopted for the dairy industry which provides for a number of exemptions. These were developed by the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade with input from the industry. The document contains amendments to Resolution No. 2099, which regulates the rules for the introduction of marking.
According to the Resolution, farmers are allowed to sell their products at retail without marking until December 1, 2022. Another important permission is to sell unmarked products released before the date of introduction of mandatory marking.
In addition, fruit ice and desserts without milk fat or protein have been removed from the list of products that have to be marked. The operating process for vending machines has been described. The deadline for transmitting information on the withdrawal of products from circulation has also been shifted for the participants in circulation. The marking implementation process includes general support measures for all product groups, as well as industry-specific tools. These are aimed at minimising the costs for producers to join the system.