Cheese and ice cream producers were issued 44 million codes on the first day of mandatory labeling

‘The labeling system became mandatory on June 1 for ice cream and cheese producers. During the first day, the turnover participants made 3,318 orders and received 44 million Data Matrix codes. This is 35% more than in the pharmaceutical industry, and 14 times more than the number of codes received in the shoe and light industries combined,’ explained in the press service.

Despite the peak loads on the Honest Mark system, according to the CATD, it managed to cope with the number of requests. In order to quickly process information, the number of servers for the dairy industry was doubled on the eve of the start of labeling, and to solve special cases, personal managers of the CATD interact with the participants of the turnover. ‘Both large and small enterprises have prepared for labeling. 100% of cheese producers and 87% of ice cream companies have already joined the system,’ added in the press service.

Earlier, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation noted that the preparation for labeling of dairy products began 2.5 years ago; all companies in the industry could take part in the pilot project, as well as find optimal solutions and prepare in advance for the introduction of mandatory labeling. In turn, as Anna Orlova, co-chair of the ACORT digital Initiatives Committee, explained to the CATD, the completion of preparations for labeling some manufacturers after June 1 will not affect the range of retail chains.

‘All networks participate in the experiment from the first days, so we have worked out the processes. Everyone is ready to receive and sell the labeled product, and sites for testing the system at the checkout have already been deployed. If there are any even small technical issues, we solve them in a working order, including at working and project expert groups,’ the CATD quotes Orlova as saying.

As a support to the participants of the turnover, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation approved changes to the rules for granting subsidies for the development of projects in the field of industry, which allow providing financial assistance to the participants of the turnover and packaging manufacturers.

‘They allow us to provide financial support to turnover participants and packaging manufacturers. It also provides for the inclusion of equipment for printing packaging in the list of technological equipment, analogues of which are not produced in Russia. This allows us to avoid VAT not only on finished equipment, but also on components and spare parts for it,’ the report says.

Another measure of support for dairy producers is the ability to sell the balances of unlabeled goods during the entire shelf life. It can be used by both producers of cheese and ice cream, as well as producers of other dairy products, for which the deadline for the introduction of mandatory labeling comes later.

‘Thanks to this, the uninterrupted supply of dairy products to the market will be ensured. The support measures help to reduce the financial burden on the participants of the turnover and on the packaging manufacturers who purchase equipment for labeling,’ said in the press service.

Earlier, we reported that the Irbitsky dairy plant noted problems with labeling on June 1.