Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- By resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers, the General Technical Regulation on the safety of soft drinks and the scheme for its implementation were approved.

The technical regulation comes into force 18 months from the date of publication. Until its entry into force, the current regulatory documents for non-alcoholic beverage standards are applied on a voluntary basis and are not binding.

The technical regulation applies to soft drinks, raw materials and its components, processes of production, storage, transportation, sale and disposal. It does not apply to the production of beverages for baby food and products exported outside the country. The list of non-alcoholic products is given in the appendix to the Technical Regulations and consists of 20 types.

The following information must be indicated in the accompanying documents for soft drinks: the presence of quality certificates, flavorings, aspartame (phenylalanine), energy value, etc. It is forbidden to indicate misleading information on the label.

Requirements for the maximum allowable standards for the content of toxic elements and mycotoxins, radionuclides, microbiological and parasitological parameters in beverages are given in the relevant annexes to the Technical Regulations.

The Uzstandard Agency, the State Inspectorate of Sanitary and Epidemiological Surveillance, HC Uzbekozikovkatholding will bring the approved Technical Regulations to certification bodies and testing laboratories, take inventory and bring into compliance the existing regulatory acts, and will monitor its compliance.