From March 1, the digital labeling system applies to packaged processed, blended and other drinking water. From December 1, it is already valid for packaged mineral water. This is stated in a message that was received by the editors of Izvestia on Tuesday, March 1.
1077 manufacturers and 111 importers of packaged water have passed the registration and accounting of products in the state system “Honest Sign”.
Kirill Volkov, head of the department of excise-free commodity groups of the Center for the Development of Advanced Technologies (CRPT), noted that the industry is ready to work in the new conditions, most companies have started equipping production facilities in advance and are ready to start producing labeled products.
The introduction of labeling was preceded by an experiment. Some producers of drinking water formed stocks of products, so the replacement of unmarked water released before March 1, 2022 with labeled water will take place gradually. Labeled drinking water, protected by Chestny Znak, has already begun to enter retail chains, and consumers can be convinced of its legality.
Readiness for labeling was confirmed by both large and small manufacturers.
Vyacheslav Bulatov, director of production at BAIKALSEA Company, said that it has been more than a year since the company joined the labeling experiment.
“Today, BAIKALSEA Company is fully prepared by March 1st. We have modernized the existing equipment that we have. And additional equipment was purchased, which requires the fulfillment of special conditions for marking,” he said.
The Voronezh water company “Mercury” decided to prepare for the introduction of labeling on its own.
“It was decided to prepare without the participation of an integrator. Installed software and hardware, set up work. Thanks to the well-coordinated work of the company’s employees, we are ready to start the mandatory labeling of packaged drinking water and from March 1 we will start labeling our water,” said Borislav Ivchenko, CEO of the company.
The Saratov manufacturer Flamingo also independently completed the preparation and decided to use the free services developed by the CRPT. However, the company did not need any additional equipment, it already had a printer that can meet the labeling requirements. The manufacturer also uses the free Chestny Znak.Business application and is already ready to introduce mandatory labeling.
The beer and non-alcoholic plant “Krym” also completed the preparation in advance. Aleksey Khmelnitsky, General Director of the enterprise, said that now all bottling lines are equipped with markers and data matrix codes are already applied to bottles. The company placed the Chestny Znak logo on the packaging.
The national labeling system has been implemented in Russia since 2019 and now covers 14 product groups: dairy products, mineral water, medicines, tobacco, footwear, five categories of light industry goods, as well as fur coats, perfumes, tires and photographic equipment. Part of the state information system is the Chestny Znak mobile application, with the help of which consumers can verify the legality and quality of goods by reading the code with the DataMatrix camera.
From December 1, 2021, Russia has tightened fines for the absence of a code on goods subject to labeling. For companies and individual entrepreneurs that do not comply with the government decree, fines are provided in accordance with Federal Law No. 204 and No. 293.
In June, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Viktor Yevtukhov announced that the labeling program would include bicycles, dietary supplements, packaged drinking water and antiseptics. By 2024, the country planned to create a unified national system for marking and tracking goods. CRPT will become the operator.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
