SOFIA, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Bulgarian authorities have revealed that food prices are much higher than in Western Europe, the country's Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Rumen Porodzanov said here on Wednesday.
Authorities came to this conclusion after comparing 31 food products from five categories, sold by the same manufacturer or under the same brand in Austria, Germany and Bulgaria, Porodzanov said.
"For 16 of these products, prices in Bulgaria are significantly higher," he said.
The most striking were the differences in two types of baby puree, where the prices in Bulgaria were by 90 percent and 107 percent higher compared to those in the two Western European countries, Porodzanov said.
"This is extremely unacceptable," the minister said.
Higher prices, within the range of 20 percent to 70 percent, were also observed in dairy products, certain cheeses, and chocolate products, he said.
Price differences were not insignificant, they were not within five or ten percent, and could not be attributed to any costs of logistics, transportation or anything else, Porodzanov said.
Meanwhile, about 20 percent of the food products purchased in Austria and Germany had different ingredients compared to their analogs purchased in Bulgaria, he said.
Vera Jourova, European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, would be informed of the findings, the minister said.
Furthermore, the theme of the double standard of food would be presented at the next meeting of the Council of Ministers of the European Union, Porodzanov said. Enditem
