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Eng
08 November 2019

What can we learn from the packaging?

Since the beginning of August, the Law "On Information for Consumers on Food Products" entered into force in Ukraine. There is a three-year transition period for the introduction of new labels, but you need to prepare for changes now. The adopted law concerns not only labeling on labels, but also any information about a food product provided through advertising, the Internet, or communicated to the consumer upon sale.

What information should be about a frozen food product? According to the new law, the labeling of goods must necessarily indicate whether the product was frozen or thawed, because this affects its quality. For example, shrimp or fish. In our stores, this product usually looks like it seems there is more ice than the product itself. You buy frozen products, and after thawing, its weight decreases by one and a half to two times. According to the new law, the total weight (that is, with ice) and the mass of the product itself will be indicated on the labeling! Like the date it was frozen. The consumer, having real information about the product, will be able to make informed choices. And in the name of food products that were frozen prior to sale, the word “thawed” should be indicated.

Another question that often arises with us when purchasing "heterogeneous" products: how to understand how many ingredients are in them? For example, meat in sausages. The new law will help consumers. The list of ingredients will include all components of the food product in order of decreasing weight. That is, if the first item on the sausage label is better to see meat, and not soy or offal. The amount (percentage) of a certain ingredient in a food product is indicated in the labeling necessarily if its name is mentioned in the name of the food product or is usually associated with the name of the product by the consumer. For example, a “liver paste”, which is so often made from pork meat and a whole “vinaigrette” of other components, will henceforth have an explanation of how many liver itself is in its composition.

To ensure that consumers are less misled, the law defines clear conditions of use and the words “natural” in the designation of flavoring, food product and, separately, dairy products. For the latter category, this is especially important. For example, if dairy products have at least partially replaced the constituents of milk (milk fat, milk protein, lactose) or such a product was made using non-dairy fats or proteins, stabilizers and preservatives, it is prohibited to mark it as “natural”.

There will be innovations in terms of consumption. The date "consume before" is the deadline (calendar date) of consumption, after which a food product can be considered dangerous to human health. But the new “minimum shelf life” (“it is better to use until ....”, “it is better to use until the end ...”) is rather from the category “if you really want to, then you can” or “do not throw it away, if already bought "...

The indicated distribution is very relevant for the EU, where a huge amount of food is thrown into garbage, although they can be quite safely consumed for a certain time. We have such a problem less tangible, because often the "recycling", or rather, the processing of products with critical deadlines, is carried out by the culinary departments of trade establishments.

The main idea of the law is that for perishable and more dangerous products from the point of view of microbiology, the date “use before ...” should be indicated, which means that on the day following this date the product can become dangerous (raw or chilled meat, raw fish, eggs). And for products that, subject to the established storage conditions, remain safe for a certain time after the expiration date (sugar, coffee, cereals, sweets, sausages, hard cheese), a minimum shelf life is also established. But after the end of the date, “it is better to use before ...”, as well as after “eat before ...” food products should not be in the sale.

The law does not require immediate changes; it provides for a transitional period that will last approximately three years, so that manufacturers are rebuilt according to new requirements. During this time, business entities will be able to sell on the market those products that are labeled according to current regulations.

Then, food market operators who violate the aforementioned requirements will be liable in accordance with the Law of Ukraine "On State Control over Compliance with the Law on Food, Feed, Animal By-Products, Animal Health and Welfare."

It is assumed that the provision of inaccurate, inaccurate information about a product, a change by the market operator of information about it leads to a fine on legal entities in the amount of 15 minimum wages (62.6 thousand UAH), and on individuals-entrepreneurs in the amount of 10 minimum salaries (41.7 thousand UAH).

For misleading consumers regarding substances and food products that cause allergic reactions or intolerance, the fine is 30 minimum wages (125.2 thousand UAH) for legal entities and 20 (83.5 thousand UAH) for individual entrepreneurs. The hryvnia equivalent of fines is relevant for the current year - the minimum wage for 2019 is set at 4173 UAH.

Agree, this is sufficient motivation ...