Information on the labeling of food products to the consumer

In the first quarter of 2020, within the framework of product safety monitoring, 882 product samples were taken, including 601 food products and 281 samples of consumer goods.

According to the results of the sanitary and epidemiological examination carried out by the branch of the RSE at the RK "National Center of Expertise" of the Committee of KBTU of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan for East Kazakhstan region, 181 product samples (20.5%) were found that did not meet the requirements of the Technical Regulations.

In the context of safety indicators, 11 product samples were identified, the use or application of which poses a high risk of threat to the life and health of the population. So, in 2 samples of food products, inconsistencies in microbiological indicators and labeling were found, in 7 samples the shelf life of the products expired. In 2 samples of fat and oil products, an excess of trans fats was found, which are carcinogenic and affect the change in metabolism, which subsequently, with their regular use, provokes obesity, and also leads to the development of cardiovascular, cancer, etc.

Food labeling is a text, symbol or drawing applied to packaging or other aids to a product. The main meaning of labeling is to convey information about the product to the consumer, as well as to identify the product. Through labeling, the consumer can know all the needs for the product.

The Technical Regulations of the Customs Union "022/2011" are a set of requirements related to the labeling of food products entering free circulation in the territory of the Union, which are uniform and binding. The technical regulation establishes requirements regarding the restriction of the consumer's right to receive reliable information about food products by labeling with reliable information without distorting food products.

For free entry of food products to the market of the Customs Union, the requirements of this Technical Regulation regarding labeling must be met in full. The information given in the labeling of food products must be understandable to the consumer. In no case should the consumer be confused with the nutritional properties of the product and given a negative explanation. When the storage conditions specified by the manufacturer are met, the method used in the labeling must ensure the safety of the information provided by the labeling until the end of the shelf life of food products.