The dTest Magazine has done one qualitative comparison of the cheapest chilled and frozen products, this time shining on uncooled products. "We have decided on other examples to compare what is the difference between the declared quality of the cheapest food sold in our country and in the neighboring countries. We bought the cheapest products of the type in the offer, " explains Hana Hoffmann, Editor-in-Chief of the dTest magazine, adding: " We have again confirmed that behind Germany we are lagging behind in the price and quality of the goods. Reasons will probably be several, with differences in legislation, market level, and customer sensitivity in terms of quality. German food quality regulations are in many respects more thorough and determine quality more accurately than our decrees. "
For consumer buyers in Germany and Austria, the result of the comparison is pleasing - even the cheapest items in the shopping cart are of good quality. On the other hand, similar products purchased in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland have problems with the presence of excess additives and lower content or quality of the main raw materials. Goods from Czech shelves occupied the last place in the European quality comparison several times. Inland purchased canned tuna in oil, egg pasta, fruit snack for children and paper handkerchiefs ended in the last places.
The editors of the dTest magazine bought food in the Czech, Slovak and German branches of the Kaufland chain, the Biedronka supermarket in Poland and the Spar Austrian outlet. "We bought the cheapest food no matter what the brand is. The order of each product was determined according to the information declared on the label. We have tracked the quantity and quality of the main ingredients, such as the proportion and form of fish meat used. We also focused on the use of selected preservatives, dyes, sugar and salt, " comments Hana Hoffmann.
A comparison of the cheapest food available in our country and in four neighboring countries has shown that it would be possible to buy only in Germany and Austria, without concern for the quality of the purchased goods. For domestic purchases, the composition of the products must always be checked. Declared quality of the cheapest Czech products has been the weakest for more than half of cases. Among the winners of the international comparison is the only Czech representative, in the category of lemon lemonade. First place the lemonade bought in the Czech Republic deserved, among other things, because, as the only one, did not contain substitute sweeteners.
What makes our foods lagging behind? The cheapest toast bread bought in the Czech Republic does not contain any grams of butter. Czech egg pasta contains the least yolk. The most striking differences in quality are fish cans. Can not be sardines in canned Czech, Slovak or Polish sardines. While in Germany and Austria even the cheapest tuna in oil is sold in the form of fillets, the cheapest canned food bought in the Czech Republic contained only tuna powder. Czech children's fattening with meat contains less vegetables, fruity snacks with little fruit and sugar. The domestic cheapest paper handkerchiefs have fewer layers than those from their neighbors.
In the Double Stop campaign, the non-profit organization dTest called on consumers to send their suspicions of different quality products from the same brands in the Czech Republic and abroad. "In our quest for inexpensive purchases, we have put food into the basket, which consumers have been alerted to through www.dvojikvalita.cz and social networks," says Hana Hoffmannová, adding: "Thanks for good tips - we have revealed the dual quality of the classic Coca- Colla, chilies of Lay's tuna Rio Mare. In all cases to the detriment of Czech customers. "
Coca-Cola for the Slovak and Czech markets is (as well as the American original) sweetened with fructose-glucose syrup, while lemonades imported from Germany, Austria and Poland contain sugar. Lay's paprika chips bought in the Czech Republic and Poland were fried on a mixture of sunflower and palm oil, while German's Lay's only on sunflower oil. And unlike Czech and Polish, you will not find glutamate on their label. The comparison of the Czech and German Rio Mare samples was similar to that of the cheapest fish cans. The label of the Czech Rio Mare tuna in oil reported the use of pieces of tuna, the goods from Germany contained fillets - a better quality meat. For cheeses, a cheaper raw material was used, but a Czech customer would pay more for it than buying a better quality tuna can in Germany.
Source: tz dTest.cz
