Russia updates GOST standards for salmon caviar to curb falsification
Rosstandart has approved two revised GOST standards for grainy salmon caviar, tightening rules on salt content, preservatives, temperature and raw material. The standards take effect on 1 June 2027 but may be applied earlier.
Rosstandart overhauls salmon roe standards
Russia's Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology (Rosstandart) has updated two national GOST standards for grainy salmon caviar, the agency's press service announced on 13 July, according to lenta.ru and pnp.ru. The regulator said the revisions are meant to raise product quality and safety, improve control methods and reduce the risk of falsification during production and circulation.
The revised documents are GOST 1629-2026, covering grainy salmon caviar in transport packaging, and GOST 18173-2026, covering grainy salmon caviar in cans. Both enter into force on 1 June 2027, though producers may apply them earlier, pnp.ru reported. gazeta.ru noted that transport packaging refers to the outer containers — boxes, crates, film and pallets — used to protect goods from damage in transit before the product is repacked for retail sale.
New controls on preservatives, salt and temperature
Among the key requirements, the standards introduce a formula for converting sodium benzoate to benzoic acid, intended to eliminate manipulation of preservative dosages. Mandatory temperature control for frozen product has been added, and a salt mass fraction has been fixed at 3 to 6 percent for first-grade caviar and 3 to 7 percent for second-grade caviar. For first-grade caviar, GOST 1629-2026 adds a check for sediment after defrosting, which pnp.ru said will help detect violations of salting technology.
Raw material and organoleptic requirements
GOST 18173-2026, applied to canned caviar, requires that only roe obtained from live or fresh fish be used as raw material, and updates the requirements for food additives. For caviar in transport packaging, which is later repacked into consumer containers, the standard places particular emphasis on control methods and revises organoleptic indicators used to assess the product's main consumer properties.
Industry pushback over price checks
Fish processors had earlier opposed an official initiative to inspect caviar sold about 30 percent below average market prices, lenta.ru reported. They argued that the drafters did not account for the price gap between salmon and sturgeon caviar, nor for how seasonality and packaging affect prices. According to experts cited by lenta.ru, if the new rules are adopted producers may be forced to deliberately raise prices to avoid triggering additional inspections. For importers and exporters of Russian red caviar, the tighter specifications set clearer benchmarks on salt, preservatives and sourcing, but also raise the compliance burden across the supply chain.
