Up to 90% of coffee in Russia is sold in violation of mandatory requirements

Up to 90% of coffee in Russia is sold in violation of mandatory requirements. This conclusion was reached by the Public Consumer Initiative (OPI), which conducted a study of the beverage market.

"The analysis conducted in 2025-2026 showed the systemic nature of violations, primarily in the field of distance trading. Most often, the label (label) does not contain or incorrectly (incompletely) indicates the name and location of the manufacturer (74% of samples), date of manufacture (78%), expiration date (62%), a single mark of product circulation on the CU/EAEU market (66%)," the study says. at Izvestia.

In addition, in many cases, public figures record the complete absence of any Russified information. At the same time, 88% of imported coffee is not accompanied by information about the importer, which makes it impossible for consumers to make claims to the responsible person regarding the quality and safety of the product.

"It is critically important that most samples lack a single circulation mark on the EAEU market. This indicates that the products have not passed the mandatory procedures for assessing compliance with the requirements of technical regulations and cannot be allowed to be handled, since their safety has not been confirmed," Oleg Pavlov, head of the OPI, told Izvestia.

According to him, the use of goods of unknown origin and composition poses a direct threat to the health of citizens, creating risks of poisoning, allergic reactions and other diseases.

In this regard, Pavlov said, social activists have prepared an appeal to the government asking them to take measures to curb illegal coffee trafficking.

Shadow cup: Coffee labeling will trigger a surge in the "grey" market

Digital labeling of a drink can increase the share of illegal sales by 10-15%

Mandatory labeling of toys and games for children under 14, shaving supplies, as well as cocoa and hot chocolate came into force in Russia on December 1. According to the Center for the Development of Advanced Technologies (the operator of the Honest Sign system), 24,000 market participants have already been registered — from manufacturers and importers to online retailers and marketplaces. This measure is designed to reduce the volume of counterfeit and illegal products.

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