Ministry of Agriculture (FM): comprehensive testing has started because of the differences in the quality of food products sold

Minister of Agriculture Sándor Fazekas has commissioned another comprehensive laboratory testing of similar food products sold in shops in Hungary and abroad, in order to compare their qualities – told Róbert Zsigó, secretary of state responsible for food chain supervision at the Ministry of Agriculture, at a press conference held in Budapest on Monday.

He informed: in the testing that affects practically all product categories, the ingredients of about 100 products will undergo comparative and sensory analysis by the experts of the National Food Chain Safety Office (NÉBIH). In addition to the tests, the authorities will be looking for differences in the ingredients indicated on products, and for possible quality differences caused by differing product components.

Testing has already started and the first results are expected to be made public by mid-March
Hungarian consumers have every right to expect multinational companies to offer them products of the same quality as for instance in Austria – underlined the secretary of state after the findings of a NÉBIH report – which had been made at the end of 2014 – were discussed in the public sphere again last week.

Róbert Zsigó recalled: back in 2014 the authorities purchased 24 similar products in the shops of the same retail chain in Hungary and Austria. Tests revealed that in the majority of the same products available in the two countries there are differences in quality and composition. The products sold in Hungary had different ingredients and were often of lower quality than the ones available in Austrian shops.

The secretary of state told: the whole thing is primarily a moral and not a legal issue. What Hungarian consumers want is not explanations, but a fair, correct and equal treatment – they don’t want double standards in this field of life either.

Mr Zsigó informed: they revealed this problem already in 2015, and at the meeting of the Visegrád Four countries in April 2016 Hungary suggested acting together to solve this problem. Last May the Agriculture and Fisheries Council of the European Union discussed double standards in food quality, and those present urged to solve this problem as soon as possible.
The countries present agreed that the problem needs to be dealt with at EU level and until this happens, work has to focus on making consumer more conscious.

Róbert Zsigó added: for a few months now the Ministry of Agriculture has been working on material for improving food quality and increasing consumer consciousness, and a draft will soon be presented to the government.

Source: MTI