A special session dedicated to state regulation of the production and sale of non-alcoholic energy drinks was held as part of the International Forum of e-Commerce and Retail “Central Asia Retail Week 2024”. Following the session, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the Center for the Development of Advanced Technologies CRPT Turon and the Energy Drinks Association.

The participants of the special session were experts from government agencies of Uzbekistan, including the Agency for Technical Regulation of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Committee for Sanitary and Epidemiological Welfare and Public Health, the Committee for the Development of Competition and Consumer Protection, the Tax Committee under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan, as well as speakers from Kazakhstan and Russia and large retailers representing popular non-alcoholic energy drinks on the local market – Red Bull, Gorilla, Flash Up and others.

The experts discussed the safety requirements for non-alcoholic energy drinks, current regulations and standards, and the procedure for issuing a sanitary and epidemiological conclusion. They also got acquainted with the situation with non-alcoholic energy drinks in Central Asian countries and Russia. Representatives of regulatory government bodies noted their willingness to cooperate with the Energy Drinks Association and businesses in discussing draft regulatory documents at the development stages.

At the session, particular attention was paid to the introduction of a digital labeling system in the Republic of Uzbekistan and further actions for the full launch of labeling of drinks and water. Representatives of the Tax Committee spoke separately on this issue, outlining the importance and timeliness of technological innovation in the segment of products that are in particular demand among the population and require strict control over the safety and transparency of production and logistics processes.

The final part was signing a Memorandum of Cooperation between CRPT Turon, which represents the national digital labeling and tracking system for goods Asl Belgisi, and the Energy Drinks Association. The document was signed by the heads of both organizations, Anatoliy Bachikalov and Mirpaez Mirsoatov, respectively.

“The signing of this memorandum is an important step towards creating an open and equal market for soft drinks in Uzbekistan”, Anatoliy Bachikalov, Director General of CRPT Turon emphasized. “The introduction of a digital labeling system allows to provide industry and trade participants, as well as consumers themselves, with transparent and reliable data from different stages of production and logistics. And our cooperation with the Association will allow to unite efforts to increase transparency in the production and sale of products in this segment, which will ultimately help protect consumers’ rights to quality and safety”.

The special session “Production and Sale of Non-Alcoholic Drinks in the Central Asian Market”, which included the signing of the memorandum, became one of the key events of the International Forum of e-Commerce and Retail “Central Asia Retail Week 2024”. The forum is being held in Tashkent from October 16 to 17 with the support of the Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan. It is organized to exchange best practices and cases in the Central Asian countries and the CIS.

UzA