site.btaCheck: Same-brand Products Are of Inferior Quality, Costlier in Bulgaria

Check: Same-brand Products Are of Inferior Quality, Costlier in Bulgaria

Sofia, June 28 (BTA) - Agriculture Minister Roumen Porozhanov told journalists on Wednesday that of 30 foods bought in Austria, Germany and Bulgaria, 16 were considerably costlier in Bulgaria. The most glaring examples involved two kinds of baby food, which cost 90 per cent and 107 per cent more respectively.

Some cheeses and chocolate products sold in Bulgaria were more expensive by between 20 and 70 per cent.

The Minister said that the difference in prices cannot be explained with transportation and storage costs. He said that he is inviting representatives of the Commission for Consumer Protection and branch organizations on Thursday to discuss the higher prices.

The issue of double standards for foods will be raised at a European Council meeting on July 17-18 by the Slovak Agriculture Minister and will be supported by the Visegrad Group countries and another four countries.

A comparative analysis of same-brand foods sold in Bulgaria and Western Europe, whose results were unveiled on Wednesday, has found differences in brand ingredients too.

In a televised interview, Bulgarian Food Safety Agency head Damyan Iliev said there were variations between foods sold on the Bulgarian market and in Western Europe. He said they were listed in the labels.

The most significant difference were observed for dairy products, where goods with different ingredients are sold as same brand in Bulgaria and Germany.

Considerable variations existed in the ingredients for chocolate and baby foods. No differences were observed for meat products.

Soft drinks sold in Bulgaria contain glucose-fructose syrup instead of sugar. Energy drinks contained less caffeine compared with the same brands sold in Germany.

Fruit juices sold in Western Europe are 100 per cent natural, while those in Bulgaria are 97 per cent natural.

The scandal flared up after a Slovak study of 22 products revealed that same brand products are of inferior quality in Eastern European countries.

At the end of May, the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency began a similar survey of 31 products bought in Germany, Austria and Bulgaria.

The list included five food groups: confectionery; soft drinks and fruit juices; dairy products; meat products; baby foods. The products are made in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Denmark, France, Italy and Austria.