In Russia, a new GOST for white bread made from wheat flour will come into effect on April 1, replacing the previous standard from 1986. According to the new GOST, the text of which is cited by “RIA Novosti”, it is allowed to produce oven bread (baked on the bottom of the oven – on a pad) of oval shape, as well as white bread weighing less than 0.5 kg, whereas before this, the weight of a loaf should not have been less than half a kilogram.
In addition, the new standard does not include a recommendation on the shelf life of white bread in retail, which was 24 hours. However, the maximum shelf life of a loaf at the enterprise after removal from the oven (not more than 10 hours) is still maintained. According to data from Rosstat, bread and bakery products made from wheat flour have risen in price by more than half since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. If in January 2022, Russians had to pay 76.62 rubles for 1 kg of such products, then in January 2026, this amount increased to 119.43 rubles (an increase of 56%). Over the year – from January 2025 to January 2026 – the price increase, according to state statistics, amounted to almost 14% (The Moscow Times).
