Label rules › Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan food label requirements for packaging
Packaged food sold in Turkmenistan is labelled under the Law of Turkmenistan “On the quality and safety of food products” and the state standards (TDS) it points to. The law lets the inscriptions be in the state language and/or Russian and/or English; the US trade guide for Turkmenistan (January 2026) says customs expect imported goods labelled in Turkmen, and many products need their label approved before clearance. Here is what holds in October 2026, and how packs sold in Turkmenistan are laid out.
Checked: 27 October 2026
Mandatory items
| On the label | Means |
|---|---|
| Önümiň ady | The name of the food — what it is, not only the brand |
| Düzümi | The ingredients, food additives by name or E number |
| Allergenler | Allergens in the product — the trade guide lists them among what food labels carry |
| Iýmitlilik we energiýa gymmaty | Nutritional and energy value — per 100 g / 100 ml: protein, fat, carbohydrate and kcal / kJ |
| Arassa agramy / Göwrümi | The quantity: net weight in grams or kilograms, or volume for liquids |
| Öndürilen senesi · Ýaramlylyk möhleti | Date of production and shelf life, in the international calendar (Article 21) |
| Saklanyş şertleri | Storage conditions |
| Öndüriji · Import ediji | The manufacturer's name and address; for imports, the importer too |
| Gelip çykan ýurdy | The country of origin |
| Ulanyş usuly | Directions for use, where the product needs them |
| Standart | The standard the food is made to (TDS, or the foreign standard on the certificate) |
| Ştrih-kod | An EAN-13 barcode for retail, from the brand owner’s GS1 number |
What the law asks (Articles 17, 21, 24)
Article 17: food is sold packed and packaged as the normative documents require, and carries labelling — labels, tags, inserts — that follows those documents. The Ministry of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations checks the weight of packed food sold to the public.
Article 21 (imports): inscriptions on the pack are in the state language of Turkmenistan and/or Russian and/or English, and the dates of production, storage and shelf life follow the generally accepted international calendar. Food may not be imported with less than half of its shelf life left, without proper labelling, made from genetically modified sources, with more than three synthetic colours, or under another company’s trademark.
Article 24: makers and sellers give buyers full and true information on the quality and safety of the food. Article 21 also asks for a certificate of state registration and a certificate of conformity before customs release.
The detailed label content and type sizes are set in the state standards (TDS) and technical documents, which were not read for this page — check the standard for your product with the client or importer.
Language: Turkmen first
Turkmen is written in the Latin alphabet with ä, ç, ž, ň, ö, ş, ü and ý. The law allows Turkmen, Russian or English, but the US Country Commercial Guide (20 January 2026) says all imported goods must carry labels in Turkmen and customs enforce it strictly. Most packs in shops in Aşgabat print Turkmen and Russian side by side; put Turkmen first and at least as large.
An importer may stick a Turkmen label over the back of a foreign pack; it must not hide the original dates or the producer.
What food labels carry in practice
The trade guide lists the product name, the manufacturer and importer, ingredients, production and expiry dates, directions for use, net weight or volume — and for food, nutritional content, storage conditions and allergens. Packs sold in Turkmenistan usually follow the Russian-language GOST layout: “Düzümi” with ingredients in descending order, nutrition per 100 g (“Iýmitlilik gymmaty”: belok, ýag, uglewod; energiýa gymmaty kkal / kJ), “Öndürilen senesi” and “Ýaramlylyk möhleti”, storage conditions, net quantity, producer and importer with addresses, and the standard (TDS or GOST) the product meets.
Laying it out in Drint
- Drint has no Turkmenistan label kit yet and does not check these rules. Lay the label on the back panel with text blocks: Turkmen first, Russian or English beside or below it.
- Paste the client’s Turkmen text word for word — Drint does not translate — and check that ä, ç, ž, ň, ö, ş, ü and ý survived the copy from Word or a messenger.
- Use Insert → Nutrition table for the table and Insert for the EAN-13 barcode.
- Check in Export lists text too small or too close to the cut.
Questions
Must the label be in Turkmen?
For imported goods, in practice yes: the law allows Turkmen, Russian or English (Article 21), but the US trade guide (2026) says customs expect labels in Turkmen. Print Turkmen and Russian together, as local packs do.
How much shelf life must be left on import?
At least half: Article 21 forbids importing food with less than 50 % of its shelf life left, counted from the date of production.
Is there a minimum type size?
Not in the law; the state standards may set one. Keep the net quantity and the dates easy to read and check the standard for your product.
Is a halal mark required?
No. Print a halal mark only with the client’s certificate and the certifier’s own logo file.
A summary written to design packs, not legal advice. Check the current law, the state standards (Türkmenstandartlary) and the importer’s registration documents with your client before printing.