Ice cream producers asked to postpone the launch of labeling

‘We ask you again: please listen to the industry, because otherwise we will have very big problems. We will be forced to stop the industry. It is too early to talk about the results of the experiment. One company actually could read the code on packaging - when unwinding - with this reading, there will be no aggregation and we did not get any result. The deadline for commissioning on June 1 is very doubtful, let's discuss it again,’ said Ms. Utkina.

The Deputy Head of the Ice cream Union proposed to postpone the launch of labeling until at least December 1, 2021. ‘Printing houses are not ready and equipment, all our equipment for ice cream is made in Denmark and in Italy. None of the Western companies has even started designing lines with the required changes. We are not ready for labeling, there is very little time left, and we are not ready,’ she said.

According to her, the launch time of the labeling was poorly chosen, since it falls in the summer.

In addition, during the webinar, a representative of Unilever spoke, noting that ‘the success of the pilot in labeling of ice cream has been announced, no manufacturer has been announced that would release industrial batches of labeled products. The labeling rules and the resolution on its implementation have not been approved yet. There is also a big question about printing houses - they talk about increasing the cost of packaging by about 40%. It also turns out that we need to stop the lines at the peak of the production season in order to start labeling in June.’

We will remind that the experiment on digital labeling of finished dairy products began in Russia in July 2019. It was supposed to end in February and then it was extended several times. Currently, the Government has submitted a draft document suggesting the gradual introduction of labeling until 2023.