Gov’t will impose stricter rules for bread producers in Georgia

Producers of bread – one of the most consumed and in-demand products in Georgia – are about to face new rules and regulations to ensure their products are high quality and safe to eat.

The Government of Georgia announced it planned to impose strict safety standards as many local bread producers failed to meet European safety standards.

In recent months the quality of bread in Georgia has been under close observation, with results forcing the Government and Ministry of Agriculture to impose certain new rules, regulations and standards regarding importing flour and bread products and producing bread in order to ensure safety of the product and its compliance with European standards. 

From January 1, 2016 Georgian food producers and importers of flour must meet the new requirements - etiquette, wrapping and producing standards.

If we detect any violation and cheating of consumers, the [bread] producer will be punished. When the new rules are in force all bread producers will have to obey it otherwise they will have to leave the market,” Agriculture Minister Otar Danelia told Georgian Kviris Palitra newspaper. 

The Ministry completed the document that outlined the criteria for the new bread rules last week.  

Danelia said currently bread producers were more concerned about how much they sold rather than the quality of their products, and that perception must change.

All bread producers now try to sell much bread as possible. There are no rules for healthy competition [and] that will also be regulated, as the unhealthy situation and producers’ wish to offer large quantity of the product damages the quality of the bread,” Danelia said. 

The Minister claimed there were bread producers out there who used unhealthy, additional substances in the products that were not indicated on the wrapping. 

In many cases there is no wrapping at all,” he added.

The Minister assured the new standards would not raise the price of bread, as the harvest in Georgia and in major flour exporter countries was excellent this year. 

Looking back Danelia said one of the top reasons Georgia experienced poor harvests in the past were due to unproductive seeds.

There is a special Governmental program that distributes healthy seeds to farmers, which has already provided positive outcomes. Also we are trying to introduce wheat cultures to Georgian regions where it has never been tested,” Danelia said.