Multinational food and drink companies have "cheated and misled" consumers in Eastern Europe by selling them inferior versions of well-known brand products for years, the European Commission's top consumer official has said.
In her attack on corporate giants, Vera Jurova claims that the companies flagrantly violated the law.
"For the first time, we clearly say: this is an unfair commercial practice. In many cases, I am convinced that the law has been violated because fraud has been manifested," Jurova explained to the Guardian.
From fruit juices and fish sticks to detergents and cured meat products, Eastern versions of brands that are present throughout Europe have consistently proven to be inferior in quality compared to those sold in the West, even though they are packed in the same packaging, Jurova claims.
She has vowed to stop multinational companies from trying to mislead Eastern European consumers and says they have been making excuses for too long.
Coca-Cola, whose drinks in Slovenian stores, as research has shown, have more sugar and fructo-glucose syrup than those in Austria, claims that they have adapted the recipe to "local taste". Špar, whose strawberry fruit yogurt in Slovenia has 40% fewer strawberries than the one in Austria, says that they were only making what Slovenians asked for.
Other well-known brands such as Lidl, Pepsi and Birds Eye were also mentioned in the survey. And they insisted that the product differences were based on local demand, not on misleading consumers.
Jurova previously promised not to publish the names of the companies if such practices were stopped, but since that did not happen, she revealed the names and said she would encourage people not to buy those products. "I am very determined in this," said Jurova.
Her comments come after a very detailed analysis of data collected from across the EU, and after a speech by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker signaled that Brussels is ready to launch legal and financial mechanisms to strengthen national consumer protection authorities to detect and prosecute companies that break the law.
"There is growing dissatisfaction among people who have to go abroad to buy fish sticks with fish meat in them, or orange juice with oranges in them. This frustration is growing and we will do something about it," says Jurova.
Jurova is particularly angered by the companies' approach to the problem so far, because they indicated that the issue has no weight because it has no direct implications for people's health. "For a long time this was a topic of jokes, but here we are talking about consumer equality," Jurova is clear.
"I talked to representatives of retailers and manufacturers and they all have the same arguments: they adapt the product to national taste, and use local raw materials for the local market. They tell us that the detergent is different because our prayer is different".
Jurova offers several solutions: to increase the quality of the food or to name the products differently so that consumers know what they are buying.
The question of double arshins in the matter of food arrived on the commission's agenda thanks to the lobbies from Bulgaria, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Hungary who recently published their comparative studies, and in ten days Croatia will also publish that study.
The Prime Minister of Slovenia, Miro Cerar, told the Guardian that he believes that multinational companies are knowingly involved in creating a delusion. "This is an unacceptable practice that serves only to increase profits. This is what companies are constantly trying to do, but what affects the quality of life must be controlled," said Cerar.
A Coca-Cola spokesperson stated: We occasionally adapt our products a bit to suit local tastes and preferences, to use local resources and to comply with local regulations. Our commitment to serving high-quality, affordable, and great-tasting beverages in 200 countries around the world, including Slovenia."
A Pepsi spokesperson said they are committed to producing high-quality and delicious products in "every market they serve."
"Our policy is to fulfill the wishes of consumers, so every country where Špar exists has its own Špar products - the recipes are made in that country," they announced from Špar.
Lidl's spokesperson said that together with the distributors, they set strict quality rules for all international products. "These are the same rules in all markets where our product exists".
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