Rising Trend of Expired Food Sales in Russia and Challenges in Enforcement
In Russia, a concerning trend has emerged: the monthly number of expired food products being sold continues to increase.
According to data from Rospotrebnadzor, during the period from August 2024 to August 2025, over 179.5 million sales of products bypassing the mandatory marking system were recorded.
This figure substantially exceeds the previous year’s indicator, with an increase of more than 56 million.
Despite the implementation of digital labeling intended to alert consumers about approaching expiry dates at the checkout, this measure has not yet yielded significant results.
The authorities are thus contemplating more drastic measures, proposing to automate penalties for sellers dealing with expired goods, akin to the ‘auto-fine’ system used in traffic violations.
Under this proposal, entrepreneurs could face fines ranging from 30,000 to 40,000 rubles with confiscation of expired products, while legal entities could be fined between 300,000 and 600,000 rubles.
However, to accommodate business interests, the implementation of such penalties has been postponed until 2026.
In addition, a fine of 50,000 rubles is suggested for vendors who operate without registering in the labeling system.
It is noteworthy that over the past year, the number of unregulated sales has skyrocketed.
Experts point out that the primary reason behind the persistent sale of expired products is the moratorium on business inspections, which has allowed traders to bypass controls without facing meaningful sanctions.
As Oleg Pavlov, Head of the Public Council under Rospotrebnadzor, stated, the sale of expired goods often occurs due to the lack of effective enforcement measures, which emboldens violators and undermines consumer trust in food safety regulations.