Digital labeling expands as Kazakhstan mandates traceability system for supplements and beer
Key takeaways
- Kazakhstan will require mandatory digital marking for dietary supplements, beer, and bottled beer-based beverages from September 1, 2026.
- The traceability system will track individual products from manufacturers or border entry to consumers.
- The regulation aims to curb counterfeit trade, improve market transparency, and support fair competition.
Governments around the world are increasingly pushing packaging industries to adopt digital traceability systems. Kazakhstan is the latest country to implement mandatory digital marking. The move aligns with growing momentum of smart labeling alongside high-tech packaging initiatives emerging globally.
Starting September 1, 2026, the requirements apply to all dietary supplements, beer, and bottled beer-based beverages manufactured locally and imported.
Under the new regulation, a security code must be affixed to all registered dietary supplements in the Republic of Kazakhstan or the Eurasian Economic Union, including specialized food products, concentrates, vitamin and mineral complexes, syrups, and herbal extracts.
“It is important to emphasize that this is not simply about applying a code to beer packaging. The digital labeling and traceability system creates a unified digital framework for monitoring product flows,” says the Ministry of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
“For the government, it is a tool for reducing illicit trade and obtaining reliable industry data. For legitimate businesses, it provides protection against unfair competition, helps level the playing field, and reduces the risk of counterfeit products entering legal circulation. For consumers, it provides an additional guarantee of product authenticity and transparency regarding product origin.”
Expanding digital technologies
This digital traceability system is designed to track each product unit from the manufacturer or the border to the final consumer. The solution aims to safeguard the market against counterfeit items, support fair business competition, and support product safety for consumers.
In preparation for the transition, the State Revenue Department for Almaty has urged importers and retail chains to prepare for the new requirements in advance.
Beyond Kazakhstan, this month, the European Commission introduced the Digital Product Passport (DPP) Registry and testing environment to establish DPPs as “a practical reality for businesses placing products on the EU market.”
To advance product tracking, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners’ German business, CCEP Deutschland, Vetropack, and Myneral Labs developed a digital traceability system that marks each reusable glass bottle with an individual code in a move to advance packaging traceability with AI.
Meanwhile, Vietnam developed a pilot program of nationwide digital traceability systems for farm products, including through packaging and labeling. The system aimed to achieve stronger application of digital technologies such as geographic information systems, QR codes, electronic logs, blockchain, and IoT.
