Slovakia's PM alleges food fraud in Eastern Europe

Slovakian Prime Minister Fico speaks during a news conference. Picture: Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters

Slovakian Prime Minister Fico speaks during a news conference. Picture: Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters

Published Jul 27, 2017

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Brussels - Slovakia's prime minister urged the European

Commission on Thursday to act on the perceived difference in quality

between products sold by the same brand in Eastern and Western

Europe.

Slovakia, as well as Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, have

long claimed that packaged food and other consumer products such as

washing powder are of inferior quality compared to the same brands

with the same packaging sold in Western Europe.

"How would you react if your washing powder had 20 per cent less

active matter?" Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico asked.

Fico also claimed that processed food was being sold in Slovakia that

contained less pork and more low quality chicken meat leftovers -

despite weighing the same, looking the same and costing the same.

For his part Jean-Claude Junker, the head of the EU Commission

assured Fico that the issue was "unacceptable."

Consumers had the right to the same quality, he said, adding that the

commission would draft new guidelines over the coming weeks to

provide clarification.

dpa

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