Croatia is launching an investigation to see if there is a difference in the quality of local goods compared to Western Europe.
This in-depth study is part of an initiative by MEP Biljana Borzan in cooperation with the Croatian Food Agency (HAH).
A survey conducted by GfK revealed that 82.6% of Croatian citizens believe that products intended for the Eastern European market are of lower quality than those for Western Europe. In addition, 73% believe that there is a price difference.
The research also showed that 91% of Croatian consumers prefer domestic products, while the quality and safety of products is the most important factor when buying something.
A total of 27 food and non-food products will be tested and their quality will be compared with those available in stores in Germany.
The Croatian Food Agency will provide technical support in order to ensure transparency of the process, by selecting the most skilled laboratories to control certain parameters during testing.
The list includes beverages such as Jacobs Cronat Gold and Pepsi Cola, confectionery including Haribo, dairy products, fish, oils and fats, pasta, snacks such as Pringles, meat, and cereal products.
Similar research has already been conducted by the Czech Republic and it has shown that over 50% of food products are of lesser quality in comparison with the German market.
© 2016 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
