Nine products sold in local supermarkets and hypermarkets are different than similar products sold in stores in Western Europe, according to the Romanian authorities, who have recently finalized their analysis on the possible double quality standard for food.

Romania’s Agriculture Ministry, the Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA) and the National Consumer Protection Agency (ANPC) released yesterday the results of their analysis. The results show that nine products sold in Romania have different ingredients and nutritional values compared to similar products sold in Western countries. The products include pork sausage, pate and canned fish.

The authorities analyzed a total of 29 products by taking samples from supermarkets in three Western states, namely Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, and from Romania.

Romania followed the model of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Bulgaria which have already started investigating a possible double standard in imported products made in Western Europe and sold in these markets. The preliminary findings indicate that the products sold on these Eastern European markets by international retailers may not be the same quality as those sold under the same brands in Western markets such as Germany or Austria.

The European Commission is preparing a common method to see if food quality is lower in some member states, according to EC officials quoted by EUObserver.com.

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editor@romania-insider.com