Ukraine: government abolishes the mandatory certification of food products

On 23 December 2009, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the resolution (the “Resolution”) abolishing mandatory certification of certain food products by the state standards and technical regulation authority. The latter effectively duplicated compliance supervision vested by law in the state sanitary and veterinary authorities. The Resolution is also designed to bring the supervision regime in the food industry into compliance with Ukraine's WTO accession commitments. No certification is required for the following food products:

• Hard and semi-hard rennet cheese;
• Butter, spreads, fat mixtures and filled butter;
• Margarine and soft margarine;
• Vegetable oil (packaged in sealed containers of not more than 10 kg each);
• Chocolate candies and candies glazed with chocolate with the expiration period of at least 30 days;
• Canned food. Juices (fruit, vegetable and from trees);
• Mineral and drinking water in hermetically sealed containers;
• Soft drinks, artificially mineralised water and beverage concentrates with the expiration period of at least 30 days, except for dry concentrates made from natural raw materials;
• Semi-smoked sausages with the expiration period of at least 30 days; uncooked smoked and dried sausages;
• Products made of pork, beef and other animal meat, uncooked smoked and dried meat products with the expiration period of at least 30 days;
• Meat and vegetable canned food;
• Tea;
• Natural and instant coffee;
• Canned fish, canned fish and vegetables, seafood and preserves, including caviar;
• Fish and salted herring with the expiration period of more than 30 days;
• Dried and smoked fish with the expiration period of more than 30 days.

According to expert opinions, the removal of certification will save up to UAH 40 mn (circa USD 5 mn) annually for food-related businesses.

Infant food products and alcoholic drinks remain subject to the certification procedure.

Law: Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated 23 December 2009 “On Abolition of Certain Items from the List of Products Subject to Mandatory Certification in Ukraine”