Dual Food Quality: Commission releases study assessing differences in the composition of EU food products

Recently, the Commission published the results of a pan-European testing campaign of food products showing that some products are identically or similarly branded while having a different composition.

Since his State of the Union Address in 2017, President Jean-Claude Juncker has been committed to addressing the issue of dual quality of products. The European Commission has taken forward different initiatives and today has published a study following tests of food products across the EU using the same methodology, in order to better understand the dual quality of food products in the EU. Analysing nearly 1,400 food products in 19 EU countries, the study, carried out by the Commission’s in-house science and knowledge service, the Joint Research Centre, shows that 9% of the compared products differed in composition, although the front-of-pack was identical. A further 22% of products with a different composition had a similar front-of-pack. The study did not show a consistent geographical pattern. Based on the new methodology developed, national competent authorities will now be able to perform the case by case analysis required to determine misleading practices prohibited under EU consumer law.

Main findings

The study assessed 1,380 samples of 128 different food products from 19 Member States. The sample is, however, not representative of the vast diversity of food products on the EU market. The study found that:

• In the majority of cases, the composition matched the way products were presented: 23% of products had an identical front-of-pack and an identical composition, and 27% of products signaled their different composition in different EU countries with a different front-of-pack.
• 9% of products presented as being the same across the EU had a different composition: they had an identical front-of-pack, but a different composition.
• A further 22% of products presented in a similar way had a different composition: they had a similar front-of-pack, yet a different composition.
• There is no consistent geographical pattern in the use of the same or similar packaging for products with different compositions. Moreover, the difference in the composition found in the products tested do not necessarily constitute a difference in product quality.

Commission action on this issue

Since the President of the Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, has been addressing the issue of dual quality of products in his State of the Union Address in 2017, the European Commission has taken forward different initiatives by:

• clarifying when dual quality of products is a misleading practice through legislation under the recently agreed New Deal for Consumers;
• establishing a common methodology for the testing of food products;
• issuing a set of guidelines to help national authorities apply EU consumer and food legislation;
• dedicating over €4.5 million to solve this issue;
• testing products across the EU with the same methodology to get a better understanding of dual quality of goods.

Next steps

The European Commission launches today a new call for proposals with a total budget of €1.26 million to strengthen consumer organisations’ capacities to test products and identify potentially misleading practices. The deadline for applications is 6 November 2019.

Más información

Access the complete news

Dual Food Quality: Questions & Answers

Results of the EU-wide testing cmapaign: Report

Call for proposals