The Office of the Federal Antimonopoly Service for Ingushetia ordered the Moscow Brewing Company to stop using the “halal” label for energy drinks, writes Kommersant .
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Applying such a label on a product that can be harmful to health gives it an unreasonable advantage over other similar drinks, the department believes.
The department's office in Ingushetia ordered the Moscow Brewing Company (MPC; beer brands Khamovniki, Zhigulevskoe Barnoye, Hollandia, Schlitz) to stop using the halal label on its Gorilla energy drinks. Now the IPC is challenging this decision in the Federal Antimonopoly Service of the Russian Federation. As part of this process, the IPC filed a claim with the Arbitration Court of Ingushetia against the local department of the FAS, which was rejected in early July 2024. Now the file of arbitration cases contains information about the company’s second claim.
The essence of the regulator's decision is that energy drinks can be harmful to the body, and therefore the “halal” label on such products is considered an “act of unfair competition”, as it misleads consumers. Products with these labels are perceived as healthier, which can lead to consumer preference and therefore additional economic benefits for producers. This is indicated in the decision of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) for Ingushetia. The document also notes that previously the center for standardization and certification “Halal Supervision Center” issued permission to the IPC to use this mark.
The Federal Antimonopoly Service of the Russian Federation stated that the “halal” certificate was issued for MPC energy drinks without conducting an appropriate examination of all product ingredients. The decision also notes that the Federal Antimonopoly Service for Ingushetia received authority for this case from the central office of the Federal Antimonopoly Service.
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