President Approved New Food Labeling Rules

President approved new food labeling rules – сonsumers will receive all the necessary information about the products to find out whether the food product has been thawed out and whether it contains allergens.

The relevant Law “On Consumer Information on Food Products” (draft No. 8450) was signed by the President and enters into force within six months after publication.

The law requires that such an information be placed on packaged food products:

• the name of the food product;
• list of ingredients;
• any ingredients or auxiliary materials for processing that cause allergic reactions or intolerance, and are used in the manufacture or preparation of the food product and remain in the finished product, even in modified form;
• the number of specific ingredients or categories of ingredients;
• the amount of food in the established units of measurement;
• the minimum shelf life or the date “use before”;
• any special storage conditions and / or conditions of use (if necessary);
• the name and location of the market operator responsible for the information about the food product; and for the imported food, the name and location of the importer;
• the country of origin or place of origin (regarding meat or products which name may be misleading with respect to the country of origin);
• instructions for use – in cases where the absence of such instructions hinders the proper use of the food product;
• for beverages with an ethyl alcohol content of more than 1.2 percent by volume, the actual alcohol content in the beverage;
• information about the nutritional value of the food product.

It is forbidden to use information that may mislead the consumer, especially in terms of the properties and characteristics of food products and the consequences of their consumption, as well as in attributing medicinal properties to food products. The above prohibition also applies to advertising and presentation of food.