Nuances in declaring potatoes

Before releasing vegetable products to consumer markets in the Russian Federation, appropriate documentation must be prepared. For this, the supplier organizes laboratory tests. This is a necessary procedure, after successful completion of which, a declaration for potatoes or other vegetables.

Checking allows to documentally confirm the quality of the product, its safety for consumer health and compliance with the norms and requirements contained in the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union.

The absence of a declaration is considered an administrative offense, for which the offender bears responsibility in the form of fines, seizure of goods and suspension of activities.

Legal basis

Declaration of conformity for potatoes can be issued after confirming compliance with several relevant TR CU regulations:

• 021/2011 - regulates food safety at all stages of the production cycle and requires implementation of a HACCP system at the enterprise, ensuring continuous control of the quality of produced goods;
• 022/2011 - establishes the procedure for marking products;
• 029/2012 - applies to products sold in processed form with the use of food additives.

The declaration confirms that during vegetable cultivation, harmful and toxic substances, posing a danger to human health, were not used. The maximum validity period of the declaration is 5 years. For a batch of products, it remains valid until the complete sale of the batch or until the expiration date. After conducting mandatory procedures with a positive result, the packaging and labels of goods are marked with the EAEU marking.

For importing plant products, a phytosanitary certificate must be obtained. If vegetables are grown in quarantine zones, for their sale on Russian markets, a quarantine certificate must be issued.

In addition to mandatory declaration, the applicant may additionally undergo voluntary certification in any voluntary certification system (VCS), registered with Rosstandart.

Checks conducted at the initiative of the entrepreneur allow to emphasize the unique properties of the product and confirm compliance with the relevant GOST. In the absence of such a standard, technical specifications (TU) must be developed.

Voluntary certification allows:

• strengthen consumer trust;
• create a positive reputation of a reliable supplier;
• expand sales markets and increase sales volume;
• increase chances of winning contracts in large tenders and state procurements
• successfully pass inspections by supervisory bodies.

What is required to undergo the procedure?

To undergo declaration, you can seek assistance from a certification center. For this, you need to submit an application in the established format and provide:

• manufacturer's (supplier's) details for contract signing;
• copies of founding and registration documents confirming lawful activity;
• product information including ТН ВЭД and ОКПД 2 codes;
• normative and technical documentation that the applicant follows (GOST, TU);
• test report (if available);
• contract with invoice (for imported potatoes).

Stages of preparation

The procedure is carried out in stages:

1. Review by experts of the application and submitted documentation.
2. Conducting preliminary consultation to determine the further cooperation plan.
3. Conducting laboratory tests, during which compliance of obtained indicators with the norms established in TR CU and national standards is checked.
4. Formation of evidentiary basis in the form of test reports obtained as a result of the inspection.
5. Evaluation of research results and decision on issuing the declaration.

Registration of the declaration in the registry of the Federal Accreditation Service using an electronic digital signature