The Ministry of Industry and Trade has proposed amendments to the "Law on Standardization in the Russian Federation": food producers should not set requirements in their technical specifications (TU) or organizational standards (STO) that worsen product characteristics or "contradict the requirements of national standards," Izvestia reported. The ministry plans to require the industry to comply with GOST standards, which are voluntary in Russia.
The same approach applies in the alcohol industry: it is impossible to get alcoholic beverages into large retail chains without complying with voluntary state standards.
The State Duma approved in the first reading back in mid-January amendments to the law "On Standardization in the Russian Federation," prepared by United Russia deputies led by Nadezhda Shkolnikina. The document proposes that authorities tighten control over the quality of food products: companies will be required to submit their internal quality standards for state examination and then register these documents in the Federal Information Fund of Standards.
Currently, food producers can manufacture their products according to GOSTs (State Standards) or use their own Technical Specifications (TU) and Corporate Standards (STO).
Rospotrebnadzor clarified to Izvestia that all products on the market must be safe and comply with technical regulations, which set requirements for microbiology, heavy metal content, radionuclides, pesticides, and more.
There is also another type of document that describes what the quality of the products should be (taste, smell, color, consistency, salt content, fat content, moisture, etc.). These are GOSTs and their alternatives — TU and STO.
Source: © Milknews
