Bulgaria to Join Visegrad Four on Food Standards

Bulgaria's interim Agriculture Minister has said Sofia intends on joining the Visegrad group in their demand that companies should stop selling lower-quality products in Eastern Europe compared to the rest of the continent.

The issue will be raised at a ministerial meeting in Brussels on Monday, Hristo Bozukov has told daily 24 Chasa.

He has described as "discrimination" the practice of practice of offering products with more salt, fat, and artificial sweeteners on Eastern European markets.

Earlier, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary raised the issue, with Slovakia citings a study by its own authorities alleging that certain foods sold by multinationals in the country contain more fat, water or sweeteners than products offered in t he west.

"I believe we will succeed because there are more countries behind the initiatives", Bozukov is quoted as saying.

Bulgaria joined a similar action with Slovakia in 2011, launched after an analysis found Coca-Cola sold in the two countries contained sweeteners, while that in Germany and Greece contained sugar.

Some multinationals' representatives to Bulgaria have downplayed concerns of "low quality" of foods sold in the country, but have added that if there are products of "different quality" it sometimes happens after studies of tastes and attitudes on different markets.

Others cite low income of Eastern European consumers, which results in multinationals trying to offer them cheaper products by replacing some of the more expensive ingredients.