ANPC study: 22.78 pct of the products analyzed present differences in Romania compared to Western Europe

A study conducted by the National Authority for Consumer Protection (ANPC) shows that 22.78 pct of the total of products checked show differences in Romania as compared to the versions sold in Western Europe, stated, on Tuesday, Paul Anghel, general director of the ANPC, in a specialty conference. "We checked depending on the labels that were presented to us in the European study. There were 128 products analyzed there. Of these 128 products, identical products by the same producer were found, but some of them you will see with different quantities, differences regarding composition, with the absence of some ingredients, or the presence of other ingredients, differences regarding the proportions of some ingredients or differences regarding the parameters resulting from nutritional statements. 79 products were found, differences were noted in 18, representing 22.78 of the total products verified," Paul Anghel said. He mentioned that the Authority does not wish or cannot say clearly if there is a double standard or not. Among the products that had differences noted, Paul Anghel mentioned, among others, Freeway, Fanta and Milka. Thus, in Romania Freeway soda contains 3 pct orange juice, while in Spain it can go as high as 8 pct and in France to 10 pct, while in Italy it goes to 20 pct. In the case of Fanta, in Romania the orange juice content is 5 pct, in Spain 8 pct, France 10 pct and in Italy 12 pct. In Milka chocolate there was a peanut content of 17 pct in Romania, while in France it goes up to 22 pct. Furthermore, Ignat Arsenov, General Director of the Commission for Consumer Protection in Bulgaria, stated that in this period the institution is running a project through which they want to see if there are double-standard products on the market in Bulgaria. The results of the study will be ready at the start of next year and one of the first measures that will be taken will be to inform consumers on potential differences in quality. The National Authority for Consumer Protection, in collaboration with the Committee for Economic Policy, Reform and Privatization of the Chamber of Deputies, organized on Tuesday the pan-European conference titled "Consolidating enforcement of laws regarding product safety (food and non-food) in the EU".AGERPRES(RO - author: George Banciulea, editor: Andreea Marinescu; EN - author: Razvan-Adrian Pandea, editor: Maria Voican)