Union of Dairy Enterprises advocates for return of full requirements for food product labeling
The Union of Dairy Enterprises of Ukraine (UDEU) advocates for a return to a fully-fledged food labeling regime to prevent future product counterfeiting and misinformation of consumers, the union said.
In his opinion, at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, legislative changes that allowed for the libelling to be updated were justified. However, today, businesses in frontline regions have sufficient government support tools under the "Made in Ukraine" policy – in particular, compensation for equipment purchases, property restoration programs, and property insurance.
Moreover, even in proximity to a combat zone, manufacturers have the opportunity to establish stable supply chains and continue operations without the need to maintain simplified labeling requirements, the Union believes.
"At the same time, it is precisely in these regions that the activities of individual manufacturers of counterfeit products are currently being recorded, effectively using the regulation as a tool to legitimize unfair practices. Therefore, the continued maintenance of this regulation creates risks to public health, misleads consumers, and effectively creates favorable conditions for illegal businesses and food fraud," the Union notes.
As reported, on March 3, 2022, the Cabinet of Ministers adopted Resolution No. 186, "Certain issues of food labeling under martial law," which temporarily allows for labeling updates in the event of a forced recipe change due to a shortage of raw materials or supply issues.
