Brewers of Russia demand to soften the rules of alcohol labeling

The Union of Russian Brewers has sent a request to Rosalkogoltabakcontrol to work out the issue of selling alcohol with damaged labeling. In the letter, the chairman of the union, Daniel Briman, explains that due to damage to the codes on the packaging during transportation, manufacturers are forced to write off products, which causes serious financial damage, especially to small businesses.

Beer labeling has become mandatory since 2024, and damaged codes cannot be replaced, which deprives manufacturers of the possibility of re-labeling. The problem is especially relevant for small breweries, where damaged products account for up to 10% of the volume.

The Center for the Development of Advanced Technologies, responsible for labeling, states that there is no similar problem in other industries, and considers the problem to be overestimated.

However, the dairy industry also faced similar problems, where the temporary regime in force from July 27, 2023 to April 1, 2024, allowed stores to sell dairy products with unreadable labeling codes. At the same time, the sale of goods with a damaged QR code should not exceed 2% of the total turnover of milk per month. This mechanism helped manufacturers to reduce the number of products with unreadable code, correct errors and avoid costs at the first stage of working with the “Honest Sign”.