By viewpoint of representatives of Barley, Malt, Hops & Beer Union, Consumer Rights Protection Union, the State Duma and the Federation Council, countering their position with ideology of foreign brewing companies, PET use should be prohibited in Russia, followed by tightening of responsibility for counterfeit products.
Largest brewing companies in Russia are continuing to use low quality and often dangerous raw materials for beer production in order to cut the prime cost, told the President of Barley, Malt, Hops & Beer Union A. Mordovin within the press-conference “Beer – classical technologies and transnational interpretation” in the central office of “Interfax” in the run-up to the largest beverage trade fair Beviale Moscow that will take place in October 6-8 in Crocus Expo.
According to his estimates, two-thirds of beer in the Russian market fails to meet “classical brewing technologies” approved in foreign countries.
By Pavel Shapkin’s opinion, the Chairman of the Consumer Rights Protection Union, near 60% of Russian beer is bottled to PET containers and the share of beer-based beverages is 95%. These products can be harmful for health and PET use leads to circulation of uncounted production. According to the data of the Russian Statistics Service, near 25% of beer market is illegal and budget losses are estimated at the level of 45 billion rub/year and as for pseudo-beer drinks – 180 billion rub. The share of transnational companies in Russia is 75%, independent brewers – just 20%, mini-breweries – 2%.
According to the opinion of Mikhail Tarasenko, the deputy and one of the creators of the draft bill concerning PET limits, the share of beer in PET containers is small in the development countries: in Great Britain – 0,5%, In Italy and Austria – near 2%. It is necessary to introduce requirements to beer quality and to demonstrate political will. In Kazakhstan beer production in PET is prohibited and brewers don’t argue.
A Senator, Sergey Lisovsky noted the tendency of increasing of counterfeit products in beer, food and even household chemicals markets. Unfortunately, liability for counterfeit production is poor in Russia, criminal responsibility shall be introduced. In Europe, beer of the same brands is of different quality.
Assistant Director of the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance Alexey Alexeyenko underlined the necessity of introduction of the operative control system and beer standards in order to restore the health of the Russian market. The Government shall be a guarantor of the product safety from “the filed to the shelves”. It is necessary to control raw materials used for alcohol production, in particular made abroad. Foreign raw materials are dangerous, for example, due to presence of GMO in Argentine barley. The Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance will pay much attention to the issue concerning strengthening of control for safety of supplied raw materials: malting barley, malt, hops and yeast.
Source: http://www.interfax.ru/presscenter/471353
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