Experiment on labeling canned goods to end at end of August

More than 14 thousand companies have joined the experiment on labeling canned goods, which started on February 12, 2024 , according to a report from the CRPT. Among them are 199 importers and 428 Russian manufacturers, including the largest players in the industry: Dobroflot, Za Rodinu, Baltiysky Bereg, Buryatmyasprom, and Cherepovets MEAT Processing Plant.

"During the experiment, companies ordered 4.5 million marking codes for their products, passed full traceability to sales in stores, that is, successfully tested the entire supply chain. Testing was even carried out on a ship in the Pacific Ocean," noted Yulia Kuzmina, HEAD of the excise-free food products department of the CRPT, operator of the state marking system "Honest Sign".

The experiment is voluntary, businesses themselves decide which products and in what volumes they want to include in it. The pilot project does not require investments from companies, and the marking codes are provided free of charge. For example, a large manufacturer of canned goods, Buryatmyasprom, conducted a full-scale experiment at a production site. The codes were applied to the main product — canned meat “Stewed beef of the highest grade” weighing 338 grams. About 5 thousand cans of canned goods were marked. Testing of the serialization and aggregation process showed its suitability for marking manufactured products, the company notes. The marking was also tested at the Cherepovets Meat Processing Plant, using a tin can of sterilized canned goods “Pearl barley porridge with pork” as a test sample. The marking was applied to a thousand cans.

One of the key stages of the experiment was applying markings to retort packages. Irina Aleksandrova, Quality DIRECTOR of the Kalinka Group of Companies, reported that the testing was successful.

"The packaging fully complies with strict hygiene requirements, and only high-quality materials are used for its production, which is what determined the choice of this packaging format for the new Ekaterininskaya stew. No problems or non-standard situations were identified during testing, and it is important to note that the equipment for producing retort packages is also compatible with the serialization process," noted Irina Aleksandrova.

To facilitate the transition to mandatory labeling, the operator has launched additional support measures for the industry, including 50% compensation for the cost of labeling equipment. The program is available to small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as sea vessels.

Let us recall that mandatory registration of participants in the turnover in the "Honest Sign" system will begin on September 1 of this year. From December 1, the application of marking codes will become mandatory for canned fish and (or) seafood, and from March 1, 2025 - for other canned products (meat, meat by-products, vegetables and fruits, mushrooms and berries).