Brussels OKs Discriminatory Use of Food, Drink Ingredients across EU

The European Commission has sided with major food and drink multinationals, who have been accused of shipping products of lower quality to Eastern European countries, including Bulgaria, under the same name.

Companies are under no obligation to market an identical product under the same brand in all EU countries, said Frederic Vincent, spokesperson to for Commissioner John Dalli, responsible for health and consumer policy.

Vincent told EurActiv it was the responsibility of member states to make sure that no products that are harmful to health are placed on the market.

"There are efficient systems in place to ensure this is the case, including a rapid and effective response mechanism in the unlikely event that harmful food products are found on the market," he said.

As long as EU legislation on labelling and safety are respected, products can differ from one country to another, he explained. As a result, companies can use different ingredients and sell their products at different final prices, he said.

According to him the accusations are baseless.

A survey conducted by the Slovak Association of Consumers alleged earlier this year that major food and drink multinationals offer products of lower quality to Eastern European countries, including Bulgaria, under the same name.

According to the allegations against Coca Cola for example, tests have confirmed widely reported claims that versions of the soft drink sold in Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania contain isoglucose made of corn, which is much cheaper than the regular sugar (sacharose) added to the drink in Germany, Austria, Poland and the Czech Republic.

The products monitored by the Slovak Association of Consumers included Coca Cola beverages, Milka chocolate, black and red pepper from Kotanyi, Nescaf? Gold instant coffee, Jacobs Kronung grain coffee and Tchibo Espresso coffee.

They were all tested in laboratories accredited to the National Veterinary and Food Institute of Slovakia.

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