The labeling of organic products in Russia has been expanded with terms such as "biodynamic," "biological," "ecological," "ecologically clean," "green," or similar in meaning, as well as abbreviations of these words, and the designations "eco" and "bio." The relevant provision of the law came into effect on September 1.
There are, however, certain exceptions. The requirements for organic labeling do not apply to products that, regardless of their method of production, are permitted by technical regulations to use the designation "bio." This also applies to goods where the term "green" is used in the labeling to indicate color or ripeness, and "green standard" is used for marking agricultural products, raw materials, and food with improved characteristics.
Additionally, Russia has established a transitional period until September 1, 2030, during which the words "biodynamic," "biological," "ecological," "ecologically clean," "green," as well as the designations "eco" and "bio," may be used for product individualization and identification of producers, even in cases where there is no confirmation that such products meet organic standards.
“Consumers are becoming more informed and are increasingly choosing higher-quality and ecologically clean products. However, there is still some confusion among consumers regarding terminology related to product labeling,” Vladimir Uvaiov, Director of the Department for Development of Organic and 'Green' Products at Rosquality, told RIA Novosti.
“Terms like 'eco,' 'bio,' and 'organic' have often been and continue to be used as synonyms, although until recently, only the term 'organic' was legally regulated,” he noted.
According to him, these changes will help consumers feel confident that if a product features one of the aforementioned terms, it truly is environmentally friendly. This will also help reduce the amount of greenwashing on shelves, which refers to false or exaggerated claims about a product being ecological.
“In the end, the new regulatory system fosters trust between producers and buyers and encourages manufacturers to substantiate their environmental claims,” Uvaiov emphasized.
Source: RIA NOVOSTI
