Russian deputy prime minister Victoria Abramchenko has instructed Rosstandart—a government agency which operates as part of the Ministry of Industry and Trade—to look at national standards for labels, business publication RBC reported.
Government departments had to report to the government by July 22 about what information is required on the labels, which contain data about where the product was manufactured, its best before and expiry dates.
RBC reported the request, which involved consultation with food producers about what is required on labels, was sparked because Western sanctions imposed “after the start of the military special operation in Ukraine” had led to “a shortage of packaging and ink.”
Dmitry Vostrikov, executive director of food manufacturing union Rusprodsoyuz, told RBC in July that making product labels smaller would not reduce the information for consumers and that requirements for product information “will remain.”
However, on Tuesday, RBC reported that while there had been no concrete proposals as yet, a “possible reduction” in the information on the labels may include data about where the product was made, when it was made, and its expiration date.
Dmitry Yanin, chairman of the board of the International Confederation of Consumer Societies, told the outlet that leaving out information, such as the place of manufacture, would violate consumer protection law.
He said costs could be cut by changing the label design and ink usage and that manufacturers may seek to use new rules to withhold consumer information.
Sanctions imposed after Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has led to packaging problems for Russian manufacturers, due to supply chain issues and shortages of cardboard and certain paints.
Hundreds of western companies have left Russia in opposition to the war in Ukraine which has seen tough sanctions imposed, designed to isolate it from the global economy.
Before it ended up leaving the Russian market completely, the local plant of Swedish company Tetra Pak had reduced its food packaging. Companies such as soft drink manufacturers have also complained about the lack of self-adhesive labels due to a shortage of paper.
Rosstandart said manufacturers may also be able to reduce the size of the label by having some of the product information made available via QR codes.
Meanwhile, agreeing to having smaller labels may also require a change to the labeling requirements among the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), that Russia heads and which includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
