OREANDA-NEWS. Organic products without Russian certificates may disappear from stores in 2020 due to the entry into force of the Law on Organic Products, a Russian business newspaper writes on Wednesday citing a letter from the executive director of the Association of Brand Brand Manufacturers Rusbrand Alexey Popovich to the head of the Ministry of Agriculture Dmitry Patrushev.

In his letter, Popovichev draws attention to the fact that the fulfillment of certain requirements of the future law “jeopardizes the availability of organic products on the shelf and threatens suppliers and networks with“ billions in losses", the newspaper notes. The reason is that the import presented in Russian stores today organic products have international certificates, mainly issued in the EU, and the packaging of such products is marked with the appropriate certification systems, including the inscription "organic".

In the appendix to the letter of Rusbrand, quoted by the publication, it is noted that such products from January 1 of next year "become illegitimate, since they do not have Russian organic certificates, and must be withdrawn from circulation simultaneously, which will lead to significant costs for all parts of the distribution network" At the same time, the newspaper notes, obtaining a certificate is difficult because the only certification body in Russia has limited capabilities, and the provisions that govern the procedure have not yet been adopted. Rusbrand also added that "the packaging format is ordered at least six months in advance, and the labeling of already released products is time-consuming and expensive". In this regard, the association asks the head of the Ministry of Agriculture to organize a meeting to find solutions that will minimize losses, the publication summarizes.

As specified in the press service of the Ministry of Agriculture, the law should ensure the creation of Russian protected brands that are understandable, affordable and safe for consumers.