All food must have conformity assessment with the standards of the technical regulations of the EAEU before the import into the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which consists of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan. The conformity assessment takes place in the form of a mandatory EAC Declaration or state registration. From February 15, 2015, all food must be declared and marked with the EAC conformity mark.

 

Legal framework

The relevant information on the conformity assessment of food for the EAEU is contained in the following regulations:

 

Technical regulation TR CU 021/2011 On safety of food

Technical regulation TR CU 022/2011 On food marking

Technical regulation TR CU 023/2011 On juice and products containing vegetables and fruits

Technical regulation TR CU 024/2011 On oilseed protein

Technical regulation TR CU 027/2012 On safety of particular types of special foodstuff including dietic clinical and dietic protective nutrition

Technical regulation TR CU 029/2013 On safety of food additives, flavour enhancer and processing accessories

Technical regulation TR CU 033/2013 On safety of milk and milk products

Technical regulation TR CU 034/2013 On safety of meat and meat products

Technical regulation TR CU 040/2016 On safety of fish and fish products

The technical regulations set requirements for the production, storage, transport, labeling and disposal of food.

 

The goal is the protection of human life and health, the environment, as well as the bowing of deception of the buyer by misleading information. The foods must be safe during the minimum shelf life. The relevant limit values for food are laid down in the Annexes to the technical regulations. Disease germs and their toxins, which could endanger the health of humans and animals, are strictly prohibited in food. There are specific provisions for food made using the gene-modified organisms.

 

The compliance with the requirements of the Technical Regulations is the prerequisite for the import and sale of goods within the Eurasian Economic Union.

 

The manufacturer is responsible for:

organization of the manufacturing process according to HACCP principles (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points)

provision of detailed product description with all relevant information, including transport and storage requirements

assurance of the safety of packaging

product labelling with full and correct data

execution of necessary quality checks

The technical regulation TR CU 021/2011 On food safety sets the following requirements, which must be complied with:

 

microbiological standards according to the relevant technical regulations

hygiene requirements

content of radionuclide in the product

animal health

absence of parasites

Conformity assessment for food

There are several types of conformity assessment:

 

EAC Declaration of food

State registration of special food

State registration of new types of food

Veterinary and hygiene control

EAC Declaration

The EAC declaration is a manufacturer declaration that the products meet the minimum requirements of the technical regulation of the Eurasian Economic Union. An EAC declaration is prepared by the manufacturer or his authorized representative and registered with the notified body accredited in the EAEU.

 

The internal audit tests or test reports from a notified body may serve for the conformity assessment.

 

In addition to the EAC Declaration, one can voluntarily apply for a GOST R certificate. The voluntary GOST certificate is issued upon the applicant's own initiative. The voluntarily certified products may be marked with the certification mark. Any product can be certified according to GOST standards in order to convince customers of the quality of the products. The voluntary GOST R certificate then contains a reference to the EAC Declaration.

 

It is important to note that an EAC Declaration may only be applied for by a company established in the territory of the Customs Union, which is why an authorized representative from the EAEU is required. If you need an authorized representative, we will be pleased to offer you a suitable company that takes over this function.

 

State registration

Some food that is imported into the Customs Union territory for the first time is subject to state registration. It is mainly about special foods like

 

food for children nutrition, including water

products for dietary-therapeutic and dietary-preventive nutrition

mineral water with a mineral content of more than 1 mg/dm3

food for athletes, pregnant and lactating women

biologically active additives

new types of food

Moreover, the manufacturing plants which process products of animal origin are also subject to a state registration. These include:

 

slaughter of animals and poultry

processing of animal and poultry meat

extraction of raw milk, raw milk cream and its processing

manufacture of dairy products

production and processing of eggs

production and processing of aquacultures