Amendments to the Law “On Consumer Rights Protection”

Two new laws with amendments to the requirements of the Federal Law have been submitted to the State Duma for their inclusion into the bill on consumer rights protection. The changes will affect standards for the sizes of labels on food packaging with information about expiration date.

Bill №1

The first bill includes requirements stating that the area for the label with information about shelf life of food should occupy over 10% of the total surface area of the package. The authors of the bill №1 claim that this will allow to achieve maximum consumer awareness regarding the products they buy. For instance, it is mentioned that such a large label will help people with poor eyesight get acquainted with the product information faster.

Bill №2

The second law is somewhat more loyal to entrepreneurs – it stipulates that the space dedicated to the label with information about the expiry date may take five percent. The lawmakers affirm that five percent will suffice and that it will also leave a lot of space for product information that is no less important for consumers. Despite its softer rules on this issue, the bill provides more stringent punishments for non-compliance with them than its 1st draft.

The bill will be discussed in the State Duma at the end of February 2015. Its approval will depend on the final decision.