EAEU to Issue Interstate GOST for Plant-Based Drinks by End of August

An interstate GOST (Russian National Standard) establishing general requirements for plant-based drinks may come into force in August, Lyudmila Khomich, vice president for quality, technical regulation, and standardization of the Union of Juice, Water, and Beverage Producers (SOYUZNAPITKI), told Agroexpert.

“The interstate GOST establishes uniform rules for the production of such products for all states that adopt it. In the future, it will be included in the list of standards for technical regulation TR CU 021/2011, ‘On the Safety of Food Products’. We hope that by the end of August, the new interstate standard will come into force; the order has already been signed by Rosstandart,” said Lyudmila Khomich.

Another document, GOST R 70650-2023, ‘Plant-Based Drinks (from Grain, Nuts, and Coconut)’, currently applies in Russia to the production of beverages derived from grain, nuts, coconut, or their processed forms. This standard took effect on May 1, 2023. It outlines regulations for their classification, physical and chemical parameters, and specifies requirements for raw materials, packaging, and labeling. Additionally, it requires these beverages not to be labeled with terms associated with animal products, in particular avoiding the use of the word ‘milk’.

The new document will be used by the members of the EAEU and other states, including Uzbekistan. Its requirements are generally identical to those of the Russian standard.