Monitoring Envisaged for Prices of Food Products

Bulgaria’s Minister of Agriculture and Food, Roumen Porozhanov, told BNT "The Day Begins" programme on 29^th of June that a constant monitoring is envisaged on the prices of various products compared to the prices of the same brand products in Western Europe.

He commented on the results of the comparative analysis of the same brand products, sold in Western Europe and in Bulgaria, according to which foods from the same producers differ in price and content in Bulgaria and Western Europe. Porozhanov said the difference in the quality was expected because of the studies conducted earlier by other Eastern European countries.

The Minister said the significant price difference of the same brand products marketed in Western Europe and Bulgaria surprised him, adding that dramatic differences of 109% were inadmissible, at least because the Bulgarian consumers were less solvent.

The comparative analysis carried out by the Agriculture Ministry showed differences in the content of 7 out of 30 tested products, sold on the Bulgarian and Western European markets. The most significant differences were identified in dairy products and baby foods. There are differences in the composition of chocolate, and the most insignificant are the differences in meat products.

“Bulgarian consumers do not differ in mentality and taste from the average Western European consumers,” ‘Porozhanov said.

In addition to that, 16 out of the 30 tested same brand products were sold in Bulgaria at much higher prices. The most striking example includes two kinds of baby food, which in Bulgaria cost twice as much compared to the Western European market.

The results of the Bulgarian research on whether there is a double standard or not in foods will be presented at the next meeting of the European Agriculture Ministers' Council.

On 30^th of June, Minister Porozhanov will meet with representatives of the Commission for Consumer Protection and of consumer federations.