In Kazakhstan, over six months, sanitary-epidemiological control removed 16 tons of counterfeit products from circulation following test purchases. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
According to the Committee for Sanitary and Epidemiological Control, the total value of seized goods exceeded 11 million tenge. Additionally, administrative fines totaling 19.2 million tenge were imposed, 483 investigations were conducted, and 16 unscheduled inspections were carried out.
Main Violations
The primary violation remains labeling non-compliance, accounting for 92.96% of all identified violations. Also identified were discrepancies in microbiological (1.9%), physico-chemical (1.7%), toxicological (1.5%), organoleptic (0.04%) indicators, physical factors (0.2%), as well as cases of misleading consumers (1.7%).
Recommendations for Consumers
The Committee advises consumers to carefully examine labeling when purchasing products. It should be clear, legible, and contain information in the state and Russian languages: product name, date of manufacture, storage conditions and shelf life, composition, information about the manufacturer and country of origin. Attention should also be paid to the EAC mark, confirming that the product has passed conformity assessment procedures with the requirements of the technical regulations of the Eurasian Economic Union.
The buyer has the right to request from the seller documents confirming product conformity: declaration of conformity, certificate of conformity, or certificate of state registration. Their authenticity can be verified by comparing the information in the documents with the product labeling (name, manufacturer, article number, and other identifying features).