Spiegel Online: Eastern Europeans Tire of Being Sold Inferior Products

Some products taste better in some places as some manufacturers cut back on expensive ingredients for products destined for less wealthy regions. So there may be less chocolate, sugar or cheese in products sold in Eastern Europe than Western Europe though labels and prices are the same. Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico has threatened sanctions, speaking out “for 103 million EU citizens who for years have been forced to make due with second-rate versions of brand-name products,” reports Nils Klawitter for Spiegel Online. Government officials in Eastern Europe worry about fraud and also “the European Union's commitment to unity and whether that commitment should extend to the recipes used by Nutella.” EU consumer justice officials ordered product evaluations and found fish sticks sold in Slovakia contained 58 percent fish compared with 65 percent in those sold in Austria and similar mismatches. Klawitter points out that “companies that are unable to adequately explain why they use differing recipes could face proceedings for unfair commercial practices.” Lacking studies, companies fail to convince anyone why consumers might prefer inferior ingredients for “cultural” reasons. In a world with so much travel and communication, multinationals risk brand reputation by inserting different recipes into the same packaging. – YaleGlobal