Double Standard in Food Products on Western and Eastern European Markets

Comparative analysis of the products made in the last month shows that there are differences between the food products sold on the Bulgarian and Western European market, the Deputy Director of the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency, Todorka Yankovska, told BNT on 28^th of June. The most serious are the differences between dairy products and baby foods that are of different content but are sold under the same brand in Bulgaria and Germany. There are serious differences in the content of chocolate bars. However, differneces are not found in meat products. The Agency reminds that the dfeerences of ingredients does not make the products dangerous for our health, and the differences are described in the labels.

Within a month, the experts compared several product groups - from the Western European market and the Bulgarian market: chocolate, meat and dairy products, fizzy drinks, juices and baby foods. The results show that of the 31 tested products, there is a difference in 7 as regards the declared content.

These 7 products are from the group of fizzy drinks and fruit juices, baby foods, dairy products, margarine and chocolate desserts, Prof. Yankovska said.

The analysis on cheese, which is one of the Bulgarians' favourite foods, shows that although from the same brand, the product has a different taste and appearance.

Fizzy drinks on our market contain glucose-fructose syrup instead of sugar.

In energy drinks, there is a lower percentage of caffeine compared to the same brands in Germany.

In the case of natural fruit juices in Western Europe, juice is actually 100% natural, while on the Bulgarian market it is 97%.

Clearly, the differences do not have a negative impact on our health, she added.

The Food Agency has also identified food price differences of the same type and brand. This is expected to be commented by the Minister of Agriculture Roumen Porozhanov.

Bulgaria is about to notify the European Commission about the results of the study.