Romanian meat products, "discredited"

Romanian Meat Association representatives say that it's a concerted attack to discredit Romanian companies, which have shown evidence that raised many questions at the quality of Romanian meat products and which have caused drastic reduction in sales.

The first estimations indicate even a half reduction of sales, say owners in the field, and all this happened after the liberalization of pork exports.

Romanian Meat Industry representatives say that sales have decreased dramatically lately, not only because of the crisis and high taxation, but also because incorrect information that appeared in the market, related to quality local products.

Attacks, "after the exports’ liberalization"

President of the Romanian Meat Association, Radu Timis, said that the attacks on Romanian products began after the exports for pork were liberalized.

"We believe that these things are, somewhere, unleashed precisely because we bother, maybe, some of the major manufacturers in Europe. The fact that, today, between 3 and 5 percent are European imports of meat products and the fact that from month to month our exports increase, I think it is disruptive to our community competition", says Radu Timis.

Romanian Meat Association claims that are used the same ingredients, recipes and equipment for all the products sold in domestic market or exported.

In addition, association members say they respect the European law, which means that each and every step of the production process, from receiving raw materials to the meat products factory output, can be inspected and certified but is not enough for the producer to meet certain rules.

Informed consumers

"The consumer should read the label carefully and be informed about the products they consume frequently, because only that can choose what is best for him", believes the president of the Consumer Protection, Sorin Mierlea.

"We can’t say that a product is healthy and the other is unhealthy, because specific products that are found on the Romanian market, normally that some of them, in terms of price, in terms of corporate standards, have some composition. By reading the label each of us could be more careful."

"In this context, we performed a comparative study between the meat products on the Romanian market, almost everything is found as brands of products, both store brands and the brands of other manufacturers or importers, and this information can be found on the websites www.protectiaconsumatorilor.ro or www.testecomparative.ro exactly the concept that every citizen should have access to third party information, to see them all compared and should choose in full knowledge", says Sorin Mierlea.

The representatives of Consumer Protection recommends people that when they find inconsistencies between what is written on the label and the product should denounce the producer.

Currently, in Romania the limits imposed regarding processing of meat products are 72 percent water, 27 percent fat and 3 percent salt, and where the recipe allows, 35 percent rind.

Translated by Ioana Vioreanu
MTTLC, Bucharest University