BZMZH: What Does It Mean On The Price Tag Of Dairy Products, Decoding Of The Abbreviation

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

The secret of the four letters - what does BZMZH mean on dairy products

You may already have noticed that the mysterious letters BZMZh appeared on the price tags of dairy products. What does this new store design mean? And most importantly, is it possible to find a better quality product using this marking? Let's figure it out now.

What does BZMZH mean

BZMZH stands for “no milk fat substitutes”. Simultaneously with this abbreviation, another abbreviation appeared - SZMZH, "contains milk fat substitutes."

What are milk fat substitutes? As a substitute for natural milk fats, products made from vegetable oils are usually used: palm, coconut, soy, mustard and many others. The purpose of this replacement is simple - cheaper production. Another reason for fat swaps is less obvious - foods with substitutes last longer than natural dairy products.

So far, these letters have appeared only on store price tags and signs. For example, the entire X5 Retail Group chain (which includes Pyaterochka, Perekrestok and some other stores) has completely renewed price tags in its stores and prepared separate shelves for natural dairy products. The stores of the Magnit chain were also ready for the innovation.

These signs can now be found in most grocery stores.

Why was this innovation necessary at all? The impetus for the creation of new rules was a recent study by Roskontrol. So, of all the tested products that were positioned on the market as cheese, only 40% turned out to be real cheese. The remaining 60% are cheese products created with vegetable fats without a drop of milk.

Such confusion on the shelves, partially deceiving customers, led to the appearance of two new acronyms. Now retailers are required to indicate on the price tag letters suitable for the product - BZMZh or SZMZh. At the same time, the responsibility of stores for violations has not yet been provided. So, it is not yet completely clear whether the store will be responsible if the buyer absent-mindedly transfers the goods from the BZMZ shelf to the SZMZh or vice versa.

Is BZMZH better than SZMZH?

The question is ambiguous. On the one hand, scientists are still conducting research that will help determine the effect of vegetable fats on the human body. There are still suspicions that they may be harmful. On the other hand, herbal substitutes are well absorbed by people with lactose intolerance. If it were not for the products of SZMZH, these people would not be able to eat ice cream, cheese products and other "milk" created using milk fat substitutes. It is now generally accepted that a completely healthy person with good lactose tolerance is better off eating foods without plant substitutes.

When did the abbreviations appear

The new store rules started working on July 1, 2019. The document specifies the requirements for retailers - installation of BZMZh products on more prominent and "profitable" shelves, a clear visual border between BZMZh and SZMZh products.

The creators of the new rules hope that such an innovation will help consumers better control their diet and make an informed choice in favor of natural - or, conversely, plant-based dairy products.